GB Railfreight (GBRf), a key UK transporter of goods, has entered into a 12-month agreement with renewable energy company Drax to utilize Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) for its rail freight services throughout 2025, according to GB Railfreight's release.
The agreement covers services from The Port of Liverpool and The Port of Tyne to Drax Power Station in Selby, Yorkshire, marking a strategic shift in fuel usage.
Since 2016, GBRf’s trains have transported over 15 million tonnes of sustainable biomass, involving 10,000 train journeys equivalent to three per day, between Peel Ports, Liverpool, and Drax Power Station. This biomass supports Drax Power Station in providing electricity for up to 4 million homes and businesses, with the Selby site contributing approximately 8% of the UK’s renewable energy and around 4% of the country’s total electricity usage.
The HVO agreement represents a milestone in GBRf’s decarbonisation strategy, following the recent announcement that its Class 99 locomotives will operate solely on electricity or renewable fuels like HVO. Marketed as one of the ‘world’s greenest fuels’, HVO, produced synthetically from vegetable oils or animal fats, significantly reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in diesel locomotives.
John Smith OBE, Chief Executive Officer at GB Railfreight, stated, “We’ve had a strong relationship with Drax for over twelve years and I’m delighted that, together, we’ve agreed to use HVO to deliver our services. This is one of many initiatives within GB Railfreight’s carbon reduction plan that will support the UK Government achieve its ambitions to make the UK a clean energy superpower.”
The Port of Liverpool and The Port of Tyne, key biomass import hubs, handled approximately 2.5 million tonnes and 1.8 million tonnes of cargo respectively in 2024. HVO’s use in rail freight is part of a broader trend, with its production from waste materials offering a 90% reduction in lifecycle CO2 emissions compared to diesel.
Headquartered in London, UK, GBRf is the third largest rail freight operator in the country, founded in 1999, with a turnover exceeding £200 million in 2019 and a focus on sustainable transport solutions.
Based in Selby, North Yorkshire, Drax operates the UK’s largest power station, supplying 11% of the nation’s renewable electricity through biomass, with a history dating back to 1974.