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Laing O’Rourke adopts HVO for site equipment

3 February 2022

Laing O’Rourke adopts HVO for site equipment

Construction group Laing O’Rourke is to replace red diesel fuel with (HVO) hydrotreated vegetable oil in all its plant before the end of March. 

The decision follows the successful completion of tests over the last six months by its specialist plant businesses Select Plant Hire and Explore Plant and Equipment.

The company says the move will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from equipment like excavators, cranes, piling rigs, dumper trucks and generators by up to 90%. 

Currently, as other contractors have found, using red diesel in plant is the largest single source of the company’s direct emissions, comprising 39% of the total.

Commenting on the change, Alex Warrington, managing director of Select Plant Hire UK, said: “This is a positive step forward and will result in a substantial reduction in the largest single source of our direct emissions. While it would be more straightforward to switch to white diesel, we believe it’s important we take the necessary actions to meet our 2030 operational net zero deadline.”

Laing O’Rourke regards HVO as a ‘transition fuel’ as it works towards a plant fleet that is entirely made up of electric and hydrogen powered equipment.

“Our vision is to have all our plant powered by electricity or hydrogen by 2030. This is not possible right now, but from 2025 we expect to see a marked increase in the availability of electric and hydrogen plant equipment from manufacturers, and from then we will start to replace the HVO powered plant in our fleet,” added Alex.

And significantly for hirers, Laing O’Rourke will also ensure that any third-party plant equipment used on its project sites uses HVO rather than diesel.

The company is also in the process of transitioning to an all-electric company car fleet, with three quarters of company cars now hybrids or fully electric. 

Last year, Select Plant Hire took delivery of the UK’s first electric crawler crane from Liebherr, and entered a partnership with Punch Flybrid to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions from the generators on its construction sites using flywheel technology. 

Picture shows the Hinkley Point C project where Laing O’Rourke is delivering main civil engineering works. 

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