Leading UK planing, fine milling and surface mining specialists Power Plane Limited have demonstrated their commitment to minimising their environmental impact by transitioning their entire fleet to a cleaner burning alternative to diesel, Shell GTL Fuel.

Exclusively supplied in the UK by Certas Energy, the nation’s leading independent distributor of fuels and lubricants, the Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) fuel is a paraffinic fuel which can be used as a direct alternative to conventional diesel. Its improved combustion properties have been proven to reduce emission levels of harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) to immediately improve local air quality. Trials have shown NOx emissions can be reduced by up to 37%, and PM by up to 50% with Shell GTL Fuel compared to conventional diesel.

The low emission fuel will be used across the Power Plane Ltd extensive fleet of milling and road planing plant machinery. Power Plane Ltd Managing Director Ian Chattington commented “We are constantly pursuing cleaner ways of working to minimise our environmental impact. By transitioning our fleet to a cleaner burning fuel with Certas Energy we can reduce harmful emissions whilst improving the performance and utilisation of our fleet. The bio-free fuel means less filter changes and longer intervals betweenmaintenance as well as keeping our fleet productivity high. This change ultimately drives efficiency in our operations and allows Power Plane Ltd to make an immediate difference to improve local air quality for the communities that we work in”

As a drop-in fuel, Shell GTL Fuel can be used as a direct replacement for diesel to improve air quality without the need for expensive modifications to existing engines or investment in infrastructure. The fuel is free of unwanted components such as sulphur, metals, and aromatics which make it non-toxic, biodegradable and less harmful to the environment. The fuel also produces less odour, smoke and engine noise than conventional diesel to create a more pleasant working environment for operatives and has improved starting performance in colder conditions.