Across the UK, businesses are under increasing pressure from government and consumers to be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. These challenges however are opportunities to cut costs as well as carbon footprints.
For businesses located in non-mains gas areas, this is just one more reason to consider LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) to heat both warehouse spaces and power the forklifts that operate within them. LPG has the lowest carbon emissions of any fossil fuel available* and can be used to power increasingly sophisticated technologies such as combined heat and power (CHP).
And for those businesses operating forklift trucks, LPG offers great potential to increase efficiencies and reduce emissions. Andy Kellett, forklift trucks national accounts manager from Calor, the UK’s leading supplier of LPG, gives an overview of the benefits.
LPG is a cleaner burning fuel than diesel
Independent testing facility, Millbrook Proving Ground, recently found that forklifts running on Calor LPG produced 97 per cent less particulate matter and 23 per cent less carbon dioxide compared to forklifts running on diesel when lifting a 1-tonne load**.
LPG fuelled forklifts can be used both inside and out
Reduced particulate matter emissions mean no soot marks or tainting of goods inside the warehouse. The recent independent testing at Millbrook Proving Ground also placed filters over exhaust pipes; whilst there was hardly any trace on the LPG filters, heavy soot marks were deposited on the diesel filters**. Plus LPG can cope with uneven surfaces and difficult terrain, which can often present challenges for electric powered forklifts.
LPG fuelled forklifts are quieter than diesel
Independent Millbrook tests have demonstrated that LPG forklifts are up to ten decibels quieter than diesel forklifts***, which can be of real benefit to operators located in built up areas, particularly where forklifts are used heavily during the night or sites operating 24-hour shift patterns
Versatile supply
LPG refuelling is quick and easy. In fact larger fleets can benefit from the installation of a bulk tank where trucks can be refuelled in a similar way to road vehicles – via a pump and nozzle. Plus larger capacity fixed fuel tanks can be fitted to reduce refuelling downtime – Calor tanks have 55 or 70 litre capacities compared to the 29 litre capacity of re-fillable cylinders.
Training and emergency support
All new Calor customers are offered free forklift refuelling health and safety training which is accredited and approved by RTITB (Road Transport Industry Training Board), the largest lift truck training accrediting body in the UK and Ireland, which is recognised by the HSE. Plus Calor’s emergency support team is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Innovations from Calor
Calor’s unique Magnatract® technology inside every forklift cylinder reduces the risk of metal particles blocking the valve and affecting the fuel supply or engine. And the cylinder dip tubes that take the LPG to the engine are made from ‘memory plastic’; this is in contrast to the traditional metal dip tubes which can increase the risk of metal fragments entering the fuel supply.
These benefits of LPG and of Calor LPG particularly could save money, energy, carbon and give you peace of mind all year round.
For further information, please call Calor on 0800 121 7841 or visit www.calor.co.uk/forklifts.
* Source: SAP 2009 – http://www.bre.co.uk/sap2009/
** Results confirmed during testing at Millbrook Proving Ground, October 2010, Report No. MBK 10/1034. Image of the filter test available on request
*** Results confirmed during testing at Millbrook Proving Ground, August 2010, Report No. MBK 10/1442
For further information, please call Calor on 0800 121 7841 or visit www.calor.co.uk/forklifts
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