This winter, Veolia and Brent Council will be the first in the UK to operate an entire fleet of electric salt spreaders, which will grit the borough’s 1,700 roads in a safe and sustainable way.
Brent Council and its recycling and waste partner, Veolia are committed to green innovations that will help achieve the borough’s 2030 target to become carbon neutral. These electric salt spreaders will be mounted to existing vehicles and will replace less efficient, diesel powered spreaders. This will lower harmful emissions and reduce the effect of air and noise pollution on the local environment.
The five new electric spreaders are fully operational and on hand to keep Brent’s network of roads open and safe for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians this winter. A single battery charge will distribute 20 tonnes of salt. If and when snow falls or ice forms, Veolia will ensure all priority areas are gritted first and in the event of heavy snowfall or widespread ice, additional roads will be gritted after the main network of roads has been treated.
Gisela Endres, Senior Contract Manager for Veolia Brent said:
“We are very excited to be launching a fleet of new electric spreader bodies which will help our dedicated street cleansing teams carry out their work efficiently and sustainably. As the temperature drops, it’s incredibly important for streets, especially outside schools, hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries and main roads, to be safe and clear of ice. Employing cleaner, greener technology like this means we can service the borough in an environmentally-friendly way and support Brent Council’s 2030 carbon neutral goal.”
Cllr Krupa Sheth, Lead Member for Environment at Brent Council, said:
“I’m delighted we’ve been able to work with Veolia to get our hands on these new eco-salt spreaders, bringing us another step closer to our ambition of being a carbon neutral borough by 2030. The fact that they are quieter than other gritters is a great example of the added bonuses that often come with going green.”
