Timber takes the electric highway to the future
The forestry industry bids to cut down on diesel with the introduction of new electric lorries
Electric-powered lorries will take to the roads as part of a three-year trial which could help pave the way for them to replace polluting diesel trucks in Scotland's forestry industry.
Scottish Forestry has awarded £452,000 for the trial, which will test the use of the wagons to transport timber.
About seven million tonnes of wood are harvested from Scotland's forests each year and transported to sawmills, board manufacturers and other processors, mostly on 44-tonne diesel lorries.
Mairi Gougeon, Holyrood's rural affairs secretary, said the sector was "vital to helping Scotland achieve its net-zero target by 2045".
"Around 7.6 million tonnes of harmful CO2 is taken out of the atmosphere from Scotland's trees each year and the timber used in houses and other wooden products lock away carbon for its lifetime," the MSP said, who added she looked forward to hearing more about the findings.
Among those in the trial, Scotlog Haulage will test a 44-tonne truck in the Highlands, moving roundwood timber from Inverness Harbour to West Fraser and other local mills.
During the three-year trial, the vehicles will be evaluated for their achievable mileage compared to their battery consumption, durability, viability and total cost of ownership.
The two Volvo electric timber vehicles are being manufactured in Gothenburg, Sweden, and are expected to be ready for use this summer.