End of the red diesel era for fridges

Operators in the temperature-controlled sector should prepare now for the end of the red rebated duty diesel concession for fridge motors next year, warned Graham Usher, UK sales distributor for Hultsteins Products.

The end of the rebate will see the price of ‘red’ rise by 45p a litre in April 2022, adding hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds to the annual operating cost of each engine-driven fridge unit, he said.

Mr Usher said that ensuring new trucks were specified with engine-driven PTOs would enable them to drive Hultsteins Ecofridge mechanically-driven fridge units (for rigid trucks), or be fitted with Ecogen chassis-mounted generators that could drive any make of fridge unit be it rigid or trailer, providing it was fitted with a suitable electrical supply plug.

Compared to the fuel con-sumption of a fridge donkey engine, the additional load on truck’s own engine was negligible, and toxic emissions were much reduced.

Other manufacturers are offering alternative solutions, including battery-power, and trailer-axle driven generators to power fridge units are being developed by Carrier, Schmitz Cargobull and Thermo King.

Explaining the rationale behind the decision to alter the rules around red diesel in a consulation paper last year, the Treasury said: “Most businesses across the UK using diesel will need to use fuel taxed at the standard rate for diesel from April 2022, which more fairly reflects the negative environmental impact of the emissions they produce.

“More expensive diesel should provide businesses with a much stronger incentive to improve the energy efficiency of their vehicles and machinery, look for more environmentally friendly alternatives, or just use less fuel.

“It should also act as a signal to manufacturers to design and sell new alternatives, thereby creating a more competitive market and consequently brin-ging down the price of these alternatives.”