Certas Energy has announced it will supply around 2,000 litres of HVO to fuel the shuttle buses transporting visitors around Hillhead Quarry during the UK’s largest quarrying, construction and recycling exhibition, which takes place in Buxton from 23-25 June. While many trade exhibitions talk about sustainability while generating significant transport emissions, Hillhead organisers are tackling this challenge head on, choosing to fuel event transport with renewable liquid fuel.
Practical decarbonisation in a hard-to-abate industry
The move comes as many construction and quarrying operators continue to face a significant decarbonisation challenge. While electrification and other low-carbon technologies are progressing, many heavy-duty applications remain heavily dependent on diesel-powered equipment, leaving businesses looking for practical measures that can reduce emissions today without requiring major changes to existing fleets.
Against that backdrop, HVO has emerged as an increasingly popular option across construction, infrastructure and plant-intensive sectors because it can typically be used in existing diesel engines with little or no modification while offering substantial lifecycle greenhouse gas reductions compared with conventional diesel.
According to Certas Energy, the HVO supplied for the Hillhead shuttle fleet could reduce carbon emissions by up to 5,164KG of CO2e over the course of the three-day event.
The decision to use HVO at one of the industry’s flagship exhibitions also reflects a broader shift in how construction businesses are approaching sustainability. Rather than focusing solely on future technologies, many organisations are looking at measures that can deliver immediate emissions reductions across existing operations.
A broader energy transition offer
Hillhead will also provide an opportunity for Certas Energy to showcase how fuel suppliers are increasingly positioning themselves as broader energy transition partners rather than simply fuel distributors.
At stand A8, visitors will be able to meet representatives from both Certas Energy and Flogas Britain, reflecting the increasingly integrated approach being taken by parent company DCC Energy Great Britain.
Alongside traditional fuel supply, the businesses will be promoting a range of energy solutions including HVO, LPG, BioLPG, LNG, AdBlue and lubricants, highlighting how suppliers are evolving their offerings to support customers with a range of operational and decarbonisation challenges.
The approach mirrors a wider trend across the downstream fuels sector, where distributors are expanding beyond conventional fuel delivery to provide customers with a broader mix of lower-carbon fuels, energy products and advisory support.
Technology increasingly part of the conversation
While renewable fuels are expected to attract considerable attention at Hillhead, Certas will also be highlighting another growing area of focus for fuel distributors and their customers: fuel management technology.
The company plans to demonstrate its latest telemetry systems, which enable users to monitor fuel stocks remotely and in real time through a mobile application.
Although often overshadowed by discussions around alternative fuels, telemetry and fuel management technologies are becoming increasingly important tools for construction operators seeking to improve efficiency, reduce deliveries and gain greater visibility over fuel consumption across multiple sites.
The prominence being given to telemetry at Hillhead underlines how the industry’s transition is not solely about changing the fuel itself, but also about improving how fuel is monitored, managed and used.
Commenting on the company’s involvement at Hillhead, Cathy Bailey, Energy Transition Manager at Certas Energy, said the exhibition provides an opportunity to engage with customers at different stages of their transition journey.
“Construction is a very important sector for us, one we’ve been proudly supporting for more than 20 years, so we’re delighted to be attending and sponsoring Hillhead this year,” she said.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to support not only this brilliant event but the industry as a whole, engaging with attendees to showcase the energy transition possibilities available, whatever stage of their journey they may be at when they meet us.”
Hillhead takes place from 23-25 June at Hillhead Quarry, Buxton.
Images provided by Certas Energy