Refuse collections in Exeter set to go green with electric vehicles

Published: 1 February 2022

Refuse collections in Exeter are set to go green, with the City Council taking delivery of three electric powered dustcarts later this year.

The Dennis vehicles are due to be delivered to Exeter at the end of May and will be powered by renewable electricity captured at a solar park at Marsh Barton, which is currently being built.

The vehicles were trialled by the Council in October and considered a great success by the drivers and loaders, who were able to carry out a day’s collections on a single charge.

Read more: City Council tries out electric powered waste collection vehicle

Cllr David Harvey, Lead Councillor for City Management, said the Council’s entire fleet of diesel-powered recycling and rubbish collection trucks would eventually be powered by sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources.

“We’re moving in the right direction and the completion of the Water Lane Solar Park will help us achieve a more environmentally friendly fleet of vehicles,” he added.

The switch to electric will help with the Council’s commitment to becoming a greener city.

Exeter is looking to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The Water Lane Solar Park will comprise of 3,700 solar panels which will create 1.2MW of clean, green energy.

Read more: Exeter Solar Farm will provide more renewable energy for city

The solar park will feature a substantial battery storage capacity to provide flexibility between peak generation and peak usage, and will be able to power the Council’s fleet of vehicles.

The City Council already has a Photo Voltaic (PV) estate of more than 2MW, including a 1.5MW solar installation at the Livestock Centre, which produces enough renewable energy every year to power 180 homes.