Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: July 24, 2025

Purpose: The proposal is to change the primary fuel type for the council vehicles from standard diesel to HVO fuel and approve the potential increase of spend on fuel.

Content: Cabinet agreed the following:   1.  To approve the key decision to change TDC’s primary fuel type from standard diesel to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil fuel;   2.  To note the maximum additional cost per annum of adopting the use of HVO and that as identified in the Financial Implications section, this approach will also offer financial savings to the vehicle replacement programme which will offset the additional cost of HVO fuel;   3.  That, where it is not possible to replace an end of life combustion engined vehicle with an electric equivalent, the latest and most efficient new combustion engined vehicle will be selected as a replacement and will be powered by HVO fuel. Note that any future vehicles purchase over £250k will still be the subject of a future Cabinet decision report in line with the key decision threshold.

Reasons for the decision: The change will reduce the carbon produced by TDCs fleet by over 90%. The fleet is TDCs largest carbon producer (40%). This could equate to 1300 tonnes of carbon saved.

Alternative options considered: To not make the change or to do it for only selected vehicles. It was agreed that the potential increase cost represented the best value in regards to the amount of carbon reduction.