Gasrec urges UK Government to address air quality issues
TIN news: Low-emission fuel supplier Gasrec has accused the UK Government of failing to tackle the issue of high-polluting heavy vehicles that are responsible for nearly half of all diesel-related air pollution issues across the country.
The LNG fuel supplier claimed that the government was missing out on an opportunity to improve air quality in the country by not proposing effective policies.
Gasrec CEO Rob Wood said: “If enacted without modification, the revised UK Air Quality Plan would be a massive victory for the diesel lobby, leaving diesel as the ‘fuel of choice’, at least in the commercial vehicle sector, where electric does not and will not work.
“The plan also refuses to provide government leadership in procurement practices, which should allow all alternative fuels to compete fairly in government fleet tenders.”
Currently, the government intends to update the public sector procurement guidelines in order to encourage the purchase of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs).
However, Gasrec noted that there is no viable ULEV available in the heavy vehicles segment, and natural gas is the only currently available, viable and proven low-emission technology alternative to diesel that has the potential to improve the quality of air in the country.
The company further added that the new procurement guidelines should provide two alternative fuel solutions to the public sector buyers.
Wood further added: "Sadly, the government is failing in its duty to the public by refusing to learn from progressive solutions being implemented across many European countries where low-emission natural gas vehicles, which are increasingly available for the UK market, are already having a significant impact on emission reduction.
“We would argue that any level of pollution is bad and that best available technology should always be used as long as it does not incur an excessive cost.
“Indeed new dedicated natural gas heavy commercial, buses and refuse vehicles are now considerably cleaner than their diesel counterparts.
“Even the government's own recent low-carbon vehicle partnership report published in January, reveals that compared to a diesel Euro VI engine, a gas equivalent reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 41% and NO2 emissions by 74%.”
Gasrec also indicated that the government's low-carbon vehicle partnership report that was published earlier in January this year, suggests that engines which run on gas reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) by nearly 41% and NO2 emissions by 74% compared with the diesel Euro VI engines.
