Cambridgeshire FRS Enhances Fleet with HVO-Powered Fire Appliances

February 6, 2025

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is leading the way in sustainability with the addition of its new, environmentally friendly fire appliances, proudly manufactured by Emergency One.

These new fire engines are powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel, a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels. By switching to HVO, the Service has achieved a remarkable reduction of over 90% in carbon emissions compared to standard diesel-powered fire engines.

HVO is derived from renewable sources, such as animal fats and vegetable oils (e.g., palm, rapeseed, used cooking oil), making it a fossil-free solution that aligns with global sustainability goals. Refined to the EN15940 standard, HVO maintains similar fuel consumption levels to diesel while significantly reducing particulate emissions. Its chemical similarity to diesel ensures excellent cold-weather performance and the flexibility to blend with diesel when needed.

The new fire engines are based at stations in Huntingdon, along with Dogsthorpe and Stanground in Peterborough.

Assistant Director Wayne Swales said: “These new fire engines are a big step on our journey to being a more sustainable service. By utilising alternative fuel, we have significantly reduced our carbon footprint, but we have also provided our crews with a high spec, cutting edge fire engine.

“Through our prudent financial planning we’ve been able to continue investment in modernising our fleet of fire engines to provide an excellent service to the people of Cambridgeshire, while also committing to a sustainable future.”

The new fire engine stationed in Huntingdon is also being used to trial the innovative “clean cab concept,” designed to reduce the risk of contamination from incidents, such as fires, and the potential risk of cancer for firefighters.

Wayne Swales explained: “Our concept fire engine at Huntingdon is a key part of the Service’s commitment to reducing the risk of spreading contaminants from operational incidents, which is an emerging risk for our firefighters that we are learning more about. The ‘clean cab concept,’ which sees the firefighter’s kit, including breathing apparatus, removed from the cab, creates a cleaner space for crews following an incident. The kit is stowed away in one of the lockers on the fire engine, rather than being worn while travelling back to the station. This is the first step in the trial to build on making operational areas cleaner, reducing the risks from contaminants.”

The clean cab concept is a solution Emergency One has successfully implemented for other fire and rescue services. Emergency One worked closely with Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service to tailor the stowage layout for this specific vehicle, the clean cab design reflects our ongoing commitment to creating innovative, safety-focused solutions that reduce risks for firefighters.

Emergency One is proud to support Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service on their journey toward a greener, safer future.

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