Bournemouth One Business News, with Laceys Solicitors
A Dorset-based energy firm has announced plans for a new low-carbon HGV refuelling depot powered by food waste collected from the local area.
Eco Sustainable Solutions, based at Eco Park in Parley, has submitted a planning application for a biomethane refuelling station which will serve heavy goods vehicles with renewable gas made from anaerobic digestion.
The gas will be produced on-site using food waste collected from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, the New Forest, and other parts of Dorset. A new anaerobic digestion plant is already under construction at the site and is due to be operational by November.
The depot will initially have the capacity to refuel three vehicles at once and is expected to save over 1,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. It is part of Eco’s wider effort to reduce carbon emissions across its operations, including converting its own fleet of lorries to run on biomethane.
Eco’s managing director Justin Dampney said the project will enable “long-term, localised carbon savings in the transport sector”. He added: “This isn’t just a solution for our fleet. In time, the depot could provide clean fuel for other operators too.”
Biomethane can cut emissions by up to 85 per cent compared to diesel and is becoming more widely used in logistics and waste transport.