MKM Building Supplies invests in natural gas HGVs

MKM Building Supplies has invested in six Iveco compressed natural gas (CNG) HGVs, as part of its wider ongoing commitment to sustainability.

CNG improves air quality by emitting less NO2 and Particulate Matter as well as reducing C02 by 95% when operating on Bio-CNG versus Euro VI equivalent Diesel. It is also significantly quieter.

The purchase of the six CNG-fuelled HGVs from IVECO further strengthens MKM’s relationship with the vehicle manufacturer, who supply most of the existing vehicles in MKM’s 240-strong fleet. The new vehicles come fitted with an Atlas lorry mounted crane, maximising the versatility of the HGVs.

Shane Thompson, head of transport at MKM Building Supplies, said: “The delivery of the first six sustainable vehicles in the MKM fleet is an important step forward for the business. The new vehicles will not only further strengthen the fleets of Newark, Bishops Auckland, Crewe and Warrington, but will also serve as an exciting testbed for the impact of alternatively fuelled vehicles on our wider fleet.

“Investing in sustainable HGVs has long been a priority for MKM, and as a business we’ve thought long and hard about what a mixed fleet should look like. We chose CNG not just because of its obvious benefits in terms of carbon reduction, but also because of the existing infrastructure which makes such an investment viable at scale. With nine CNG fuelling stations currently active in the UK, including one opposite our Newark branch, and more to follow in the next few years, our CNG vehicles have access to a robust fuelling network.”

Rachel Constable, head of ESG at MKM, continued: “It was great to see the first two of our CNG trucks arrive at our Newark branch earlier this month. CNG is an exciting proposition for businesses looking to make their fleets more sustainable and I’m delighted that MKM is investing in it.

“As a business, we are committed to strengthening our sustainability credentials and reducing our carbon footprint and updating our fleet provision will be an important part of that. In addition to our fleet activity, are also scaling up our customer offering of sustainable products, like air source heat pumps, and continuing to work in close partnership with our branch network on their own sustainability journeys.”