Buckinghamshire in deal with Lunaz to ‘upcycle’ RCVs

On the 7th of June 2023, Silverstone-based Lunaz stated that, after a tendering procedure, it has now committed to the "first phase" of upcycling and electrifying a municipal garbage fleet. 

 

The conversion of a 26-ton waste collection truck (RCV) from diesel to electric will take place, and the vehicle will be delivered in the autumn. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is providing funding for the project through a grant. In 2024, this will be in use as a member of the fleet for Buckinghamshire 

The cabinet member for climate change and the environment at Buckinghamshire County Council, Gareth Williams, declared: "This is a very exciting moment for Buckinghamshire County Council and a big milestone in our journey to cutting our carbon emissions and meeting our climate change strategy ambitions." 

 

 

"It marks the first step in our desire to run a more sustainable fleet of vehicles by using a renewable energy source and has numerous additional benefits including improving air quality and saving money both in terms of lower daily operating costs and the retention of more than 80% of the embedded carbon versus scrapping an existing vehicle and replacing it with a new one," he continued. 

 

“In this regard, our partnership with Lunaz represents the best possible outcome for both the planet and the taxpayer. It also reflects our commitment as a council, to supporting local business and employment in the area.” 

Recently, Lunaz created a facility in Silverstone where it can convert diesel RCVs into electric ones, complete with all the contemporary amenities. A "significant proportion" of the 1,110 vehicles it has the potential to upcycle each year go to Biffa. 

 

All Lunaz's vehicles, the company claims, are entirely disassembled, with every component examined, recycled, and replaced as necessary. This entails getting rid of the existing diesel engine and switching to an entirely electric drivetrain. Additionally, the bin-lift equipment, driver duties, and cab will all receive a complete makeover and upgrade to meet the most recent safety and technical standards. 

 

David Beckham, a former football player, is an investor in the company, and Ian Wakelin serves on its board. 

 

This is a powerful endorsement of Lunaz' creative approach to locating sustainable solutions, and I'm thrilled to be an investor in this rapidly expanding and interesting British business, according to Mr. Beckham. 

The purchase of these vehicles, according to Lunaz, provides a "dramatic saving" for the taxpayer for UK municipalities. It was calculated that upgrading and electrifying 20 vehicles instead of purchasing new EV equivalents would save the government £1 million. 

 

The business continued: "Lunaz saves 82% of the embedded carbon in every up-cycled electric vehicle we make. For context, by recycling current fleet vehicles rather than trashing them, Lunaz' factory in Silverstone, UK, will upcycle enough carbon each year to save the weight of the Eiffel Tower. 

 

The business continued, "Lunaz engineers frequently taking part in refuse truck rounds to ensure an intimate understanding of front-line requirements" as they created Lunaz UEV trash vehicles in response to "live operator feedback".