Douglas Borough Council has become the Island’s first local authority to trial a compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vehicle.

 Councillor Ritchie McNicholl, right and Aidan Baglow from Manx Gas with the CNG-powered trial vehicle

The Council will be conducting the trial in partnership with Manx Gas for three months. It will also be making the IVECO loan vehicle available to other local authorities and interested parties.

Environmental Services Committee Chair and ardent environmentalist Councillor Ritchie McNicholl said: ‘The Council is always looking at new ways of reducing its carbon footprint and lessening the environmental impact of its service delivery activities. It’s the right thing to do and it’s the responsible thing to do, as set out in the Council’s Corporate Plan. It also underlines our commitment to our status as a UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man partner.

‘It’s against this background that we’ll be examining the financial and environmental benefits of CNG as a viable alternative fuel in the future for the Council’s fleet, in particular for our refuse collection vehicles.

‘Findings indicate CO2 savings of between five and 15 per cent can be achieved and particulate mass emissions can be up 76 per cent lower than Euro-6 diesel units. There are also potential fuel bill savings and reductions in noise levels. Importantly, CNG is a clean fuel source with much lower emissions that could offer economic benefits to the Council, which ultimately could be passed on to the ratepayers of Douglas. With this in mind - and with the welcome support of Manx Gas - we’ll be monitoring the vehicle’s performance with very great interest over the coming months.’