Cooking oil put to test as fuel for fire engines

FOR decades the vegetable oil that fuels chip pan fires has been the enemy of firefighters rushing to tackle blazes.

- ADAM POSTANS Local Democracy Reporter

Avon Fire and Rescue vehicles on the streets of Bristol last year

The tables have turned now though and their fire engines could themselves soon be fuelled by vegetable oil.

In a bid to cut carbon emissions by 80 per cent, Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) is trialling hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), a byproduct of the agricultural industry which can be used in current vehicles without any modifications.

Tests show no difference in performance, although some older fire engines cannot be adapted.