Friday 12 January 2024

Trash trucks turned powerhouses in UK first

Waste collection fleet operator Veolia has completed a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) trial.

Unveiled at the "Deep Dive Energy" event in London, the initiative transforms waste collection trucks into a flexible energy source.

Veolia plans to electrify its entire fleet of 1,800 refuse collection vehicles by 2040.

This transformation aims to contribute around 200MW of flexible power capacity to the grid daily, equivalent to the evening peak energy demand of over 150,000 homes.

With increasing electricity demand in the UK and targets for decarbonising the National Grid by 2035, Veolia sees potential benefits in utilising V2G technology.

By enabling vehicles to feed stored energy back to the grid during peak demand, V2G can contribute to grid stability and store excess renewable energy for future use.

The first trial phase involved two bi-directional vehicles, charging and discharging 110KW of energy.

This amount could power 110 households for over two hours during peak evening hours.

Veolia plans to expand the trial and pilot the technology on Westminster Council collection vehicles.

Estelle Brachlianoff, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia, said: "By enabling electric vehicles to become active players in the power grid, we are harnessing their potential to balance energy supply and demand, reduce carbon emissions and promote renewable energy."