Rye Group achieve carbon neutral status

22 January, 2023

Rye Group’s plant, machinery and vehicle fleet now runs entirely on HVO

Switch to HVO Green D+ fuel leads to bright carbon-free future for demolition specialist

RYE Group have achieved carbon neutral status, following a successful switch from standard red diesel to HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) Green D+ fuel across all the company’s vehicles and site plant and machinery.

As part of Rye Group’s corporate ‘Sustainable Standard’ philosophy – which encompasses safety, people, quality, environment, and community – the company has pledged to reduce carbon emissions from all site equipment by over 90% in the next 12 months or so.

HVO is one of the most sustainable and greenest fuels currently available. Made of used cooking oil and supplemented with an organic additive, HVO reduces carbon emissions by 90% and NOx emissions by 30%, when compared with diesel.

Working closely with national fuel and lubricant providers New Era Fuels, Rye Group decided to use New Era’s HVO Green D+, due to the sustainable nature of its production. As a result, the demolition firm successfully cut its annual carbon emissions figure from 3,065 tonnes to 135 tonnes within just 12 months. This represents a reduction of over 92% in just one year.

To obtain carbon neutral status, Rye Group have had to offset residual emissions via two VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) schemes that focus on forest protection in Brazil and Colombia, whilst addressing 10 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Commenting on the impressive achievement, Simon Barlow, managing director of Rye Group, said: ‘When we launched our Sustainable Standard framework in 2020, we set out a clear vision to build on our existing recycling and reuse rates and to lead the demolition industry by example.

‘The results of our latest carbon audit are just excellent and showcase what can be achieved with decisive and impactful changes, like the replacement of diesel with HVO fuel. We are delighted to have exceeded our initial emissions reduction timeframe by 12 months and to have already reached a carbon neutral status. We will now work hard to maintain this and hope to inspire other industry representatives to make this much needed and positive change.’