Geesinknorba's electric refuse collection vehicle has continued its tour of the UK with an appearance at County Durham's first Climate Emergency Exhibition in July 2019.

The Geesinknorba Li-On Power Pro electric RCV joined innovative solutions and technologies from across a wide range of industries including energy generation, transport, housing, woodlands and wildlife, food, and education at the event, which aimed to showcase the companies and products that could help Durham County Council achieve its goal of a carbon-neutral future.

The event was a chance for visitors to find out more about how the council is planning to tackle the problem of climate change and the range of partners and technologies that will have to be involved to such an effort. From electric vehicles and charging solutions to local food producers and new solutions for food waste, civil contingency and emergency response to community-led renewable energy initiatives, the event highlighted the opportunities for local businesses and not-for-profit organisations to work together to create a greener future.

Geesinknorba manufactures electric solutions for waste collection. Its Li-On Power Pro RCV was launched in 2017 as the first-ever fully electric refuse collection vehicle and represents a significant step forward in the development of zero-emissions commercial vehicles. Converting just one RCV to electric operation can save fleet operators up to 80 tonnes of CO2 per year and reduce their annual fuel bill by as much as £56,000.

Ideally suited to urban collections, the Li-On Power Pro has already proven its credentials in a series of successful trials across the UK, from Leeds to London. There are currently 12 vehicles out in the field with customers, operating alongside conventional diesel with no compromise in performance. Energy-efficient, easy to handle, and virtually silent in operation, the electric RCV can easily achieve required shift lengths and can help councils meet the increasingly restrictive emissions limits of LEZs, ULEZs, and CAZs.

Cllr John Clare, Durham County Council's climate change champion, said: ‘As a council, we are committed to tackling climate change and reducing our carbon footprint with our aim being to reduce our own carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2030 and make county Durham carbon neutral by 2050. 

‘With our fleet being one of the biggest contributors to emissions it is crucial that we investigate new innovative, cleaner and greener vehicles. It was fantastic that Geesinknorba could join us to showcase the electric refuse collections of the future.'

‘We were delighted to take part in the Durham Climate Emergency Exhibition alongside so many other forward-thinking businesses,' said Colin McMorine, Regional Business Manager for Geesinknorba. ‘It was a fantastic event and shows the commitment of Durham County Council to taking action on this urgent issue. We believe that electric solutions for waste collection have an important part to play in the transition to a low-carbon future and the level of interest in our Li-On Power Pro technology is a very positive sign for where this industry is heading. We look forward to continuing the conversations started at the event with both public and private waste fleet operators and demonstrating the potential of this vehicle to more customers.'

The electric RCV, which will shortly go into service with the Fiveways hire fleet, has already been taken on a tour of Cambridge as part of the city's Clean Air Day event in June and can next be seen at the Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle exhibition at Millbrook, Bedfordshire, on 4-5 September.

The Climate Emergency Exhibition was organised by Durham County Council and took place at County Hall on 17 July 2019. More information is available at http://www.durham.gov.uk/climatechange