Our local pallet deliveries go greener

Neill & Brown is driving change with a green upgrade to its local pallet delivery service.  The company in now trialling renewable diesel to power its fleet, which will potentially slash greenhouse gas emissions by around 83 per cent compared to fossil diesel.

As a shareholder member of Pallex, the leading palletised freight distribution network, Neill & Brown provides a daily UK service, including hundreds of deliveries each week in Hull and surrounding areas.

The hydro-treated fuel, derived from biomass sources such as used cooking oil, fats, greases and vegetable oils, is processed by Phillips 66 at its refinery in South Killingholme on the banks of the Humber and distributed by Hull-based Rix Petroleum. 

The higher cetane levels of renewable diesel allows for more complete combustion of the fuel and a smoother running engine while reducing the emissions of smog-forming hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and soot.

Neill & Brown’s logistics director Carl Andrew said: "Our pallet delivery service is hugely popular, and now each one of those drops could come with a dramatically smaller carbon footprint. 

"Although this greener fuel is a higher price than regular diesel, we will be absorbing the cost during the trial period before consulting with customers.

“Renewable diesel offers a minimum 65 percent lifecycle reduction in emissions and can reach up to 90 per cent. With no engine or fuel system modifications needed, it’s a smooth switch with a big environmental impact.”

The introduction of renewable diesel is one of several environmental moves made by Neill & Brown, which include the recent addition of rail transport for UK-Italy routes to complement its established road, sea and air logistics services.

• Neill & Brown is one of the best known European logistics companies. We provide daily, timed collections and deliveries via our own fleet along with rail to connect with our network of trusted European partners.
• We move products ranging from food ingredients, pharmaceuticals and general cargoes, to chemicals, hazardous and specialist loads.