Large pot of money set aside for Welsh CleanUp grants
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The Welsh Assembly is promising an £800,000 budget for high-tech exhaust grants for Welsh hauliers. Guy Sheppard reports.
THE WELSHASSEMBLY plans to hand out £800,000 in grants over the next year to boost investment in high-tech exhausts for CVs.
So far the CleanUp programme launched by the government's Energy Saving Trust (EST) has resulted in fewer than 20 CV exhaust conversions in Wales. This compares with nearly 11,000 conversions in England, says Colin Matthews, head of EST's TransportEnergy programme.
"In England CleanUp started in 2000 but it only began in Wales late last year," he adds. "Like all these things it takes time to sort out budgets, place orders and then get vehicles converted."
He adds that although the Welsh grants are set at the same level as last year they are easier to apply for and more transparent so operators will know immediately what they will receive. "We are doing it via the orders (for equipment) rather than on a claims basis," Matthews explains.
Examples of the fixed-rate grants include £3,250 for a diesel particulate filter on HGVs over 28 tonnes, or £6,375 for exhaust gas recirculation combined with a particulate trap on HGVs between 7.5 and 14 tonnes. • Contact The CleanUp web site www.deanup.org.uk or hotline 0845 6021425