The council has invested £20m in 45 electric refuse collection vehicles (RCVs). It will gradually replace its entire fleet of 80 trucks, in what Veolia has called ‘the biggest decarbonisation programme of its kind by a UK local authority’.
Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, cabinet member for city management and air quality, said it was ‘a significant moment in the evolution of sustainable council services’.
He added: ‘The trailblazing electrification will deliver an essential service that is quieter for residents, improves air quality in central London and reduces our fleet emissions by 50%.’
The vehicles will be housed in a new electric depot at Landmann Way, near Bermondsey.
Electric power from a nearby energy recovery facility, which uses waste collected from across Westminster, will charge the vehicles’ batteries.
Pascal Hauret, managing director at Veolia UK Municipal, said: ‘Using the waste we collect to power the electric fleet is an exciting innovation because that creates a local loop of energy, using local resources to run local services.’
