As one of the UK’s largest housebuilders, Redrow has a responsibility to meet the aim set by the UK government to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050. This is, of course, not an insignificant challenge. Yet we believe that it is also a great opportunity to learn and innovate, and to future-proof the homes and communities we build.
As part of our commitment to becoming a net zero business, we’ve been trialling the use of Hydro Treated Vegetable Oil (HVO) on three of our sites. As well as regular HVO fuel, at our South East site, Amber Fields, we are trialling Green D+ HVO, an enhanced version of hydro treated vegetable oil that is renewable, biodegradable by 51 days and is a replacement for diesel in vehicles and machinery across the construction site.
On the surface this is a simple switch – that requires no special equipment of modifications to existing machinery and generators – but one that can have a marked impact.
Made from 100% renewable waste, HVO helps minimise the impact of a construction site on local air quality, with HVO delivering a 90% reduction in CO2e emissions, up to 30% reduction in Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and up to 86% reduction in particulate matter emitted via exhaust gases.
HVO as an alternative to diesel is currently being trialled across three sites: Ledsham Garden Village and Anson Meadows in the North West and Amber Fields in the South East. The sites have so far reported no issues with machinery performance, and it has had no impact on operations. Suppliers have now established a national delivery service and there is potential for UK production, therefore making it more readily available and competitive with standard diesel in the near future.
Rose Sandell, Group Communities Director for Redrow, says: “Using HVO as an alternative fuel across three sites in the North West and South East is just one example of how we are exploring new ways of meeting our ambitious net zero targets.
“These trials enable us to understand the practicalities of working with a different fuel and to find solutions to the challenges that working with HVO currently presents. It is key for us that whatever solutions we adopt on our path to Net Zero are easy to operate and affordable to run.”
However, this is not the first step we have taken to reduce our impact on the planet. The business has undertaken trials to improve energy efficiency, such as with innovative low-carbon automation technology from Wondrwall, along with improving the integrity of our data and collaborating with our supply chain partners to drive innovation.
In October 2021 we were awarded Bronze at the Global Good Awards 2021, recognising the great work of our ‘Reduce the Rubble’ campaign, and we were delighted to secure a position as one of the Financial Times Europe's Climate Leaders in June 2021.
