Keenan Recycling has hit the road with a £460,000 fully electric food waste collection vehicle in a bold move to decarbonise its specialist fleet across the UK, writes Peter Brown.
The new 20-tonne battery electric Renault Trucks D18 Wide is fitted with a Macpac 110 food waste body and will operate across Glasgow and the wider central belt, collecting food waste from businesses and organisations as part of the company’s nationwide sustainability drive.
The investment has been backed by Scottish Enterprise, which contributed a £90,000 grant to support the transition toward cleaner, low-carbon waste operations.
Keenan Recycling’s managing director Grant Keenan said: “It’s fantastic to receive this vehicle from Renault Trucks and Macpac. This puts us firmly on the path to Net Zero and shows what’s possible when the right partners come together. We’re proud to be part of the Biffa group and proud to be leading this change in Scotland.”
The truck has four 94kWh batteries, a range of just under 180km per charge, and has a special battery relocation behind the cab to allow a side-loader food waste body. Plated at 20 tonnes, which includes two tonnes dispensation, it has an estimated 6.5-tonne payload.
Darren Judd is the head of fleet development at Keenan recycling’s parent company Biffa. “Specialist waste vehicles are not standard logistics trucks. They require extensive modification to achieve the payloads, ranges and operational performance we need,” he said.
“Working in partnership with Renault Trucks, Macpac and Keenan Recycling has been critical in making this vehicle viable and in helping both organisations move closer to our Net Zero ambitions.”
Scottish Enterprise played a key role in enabling the project through capital funding support, helping de-risk early adoption of zero-emission heavy vehicles in Scotland’s waste sector. Ian Carstairs, sustainability team leader at Scottish Enterprise, said: “This project highlights the important role that targeted capital investment in innovation can play in building the low-carbon economy of the future and shows how real environmental and operational benefits can be delivered through collaboration between ambitious businesses, industry and the public sector.”
Sales engineer for electromobility at Renault Trucks UK Aaron Davison said: “It’s great to see the E-Tech D Wide on the road with Keenan Recycling. The side-mounted battery configuration was a first for Renault Trucks in the UK, and demonstrates the strong collaboration between our teams, working together with Macpac and Biffa to deliver the right vehicle solution for food waste collection. With zero tailpipe emissions, low noise and excellent manoeuvrability, it is ideal for operating in busy urban environments while delivering significant CO₂ reduction compared to diesel.”
David Hyde, sales manager at Macpac Refuse Bodies, said: “Macpac has supplied Keenan Recycling with specialist food waste vehicles since 2012, delivering 76 vehicles to date. This project was a significant step forward, adapting our Macpac 110 body to suit an electric Renault Trucks chassis. We’re extremely proud to see this vehicle operating in Scotland, collecting food waste with zero exhaust emissions.”
