Understanding the barriers that businesses in our area face when it comes to switching to alternative fuel vehicles, and identifying the actions required to support them as they make this change, is crucial on the path to net-zero compliance.

Our Alternative Fuels for Road Freight Strategy has been jointly developed with Peninsula Transport to identify how best to support the South West’s freight and logistics sector in the uptake of alternative fuels such as hydrogen, gas and electric power.

Factors currently limiting this uptake include a lack of refuelling infrastructure, with 48% of the organisations surveyed reporting their fleet vehicle refuelling is currently carried out using public refuelling stations. Businesses and stakeholders also expressed concern that they may make the wrong decisions, investing large sums of money in technology that may become obsolete and leaving them unconfident in progressing their decarbonisation plans.

Consultants Atkins and Cenex worked with Western Gateway and Peninsula Transport to develop the strategy. Twenty-four freight and logistics clusters have been identified as potential alternative fuel refuelling locations, with 11 based in the Western Gateway area.

The next step will include further investigations to identify the practicalities around delivering alternative fuels refuelling points at these sites, with a view to then helping facilitate their delivery through working with operators, energy suppliers and local authorities, to ensure the development of a cohesive refuelling network. A site shortlisting tool being developed with Department for Transport funding by Midlands Connect STB on behalf of all the STBs will assist this work.

To read the Alternative Fuels for Road Freight Strategy click here.