The Tank Museum is turning green this half term – and not just the paint on the tanks! As part of our initiative to be more environmentally friendly, we are trialling the use of biofuels to replace the petrol and diesel currently used to run our vehicles.
The Cold War M548 troop carrier used for the tracked vehicle rides around the outdoor arena, a memorable experience for the whole family to enjoy, is being fuelled by a diesel alternative – Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), also known as ‘green diesel’ or ‘renewable diesel’.
Visitors catching the live ‘Tanks in Action’ displays (weekdays at 1pm) this week will see a Hotchkiss Jeep running on sustainable petrol. This is a fuel blended by Poole-based Anglo American Oil Company, starting with the 30% less fossil fuel option, with the aim of working up to 80% less through the testing programme.
Workshop Manager, Duncan Masters, said:
“Introducing biofuels to the engines of these historic vehicles is not straightforward, but it is important to us to do everything we can to be sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment.
“We’d like to thank our sponsor Murco, who provide the fuel for our historic running vehicles and have made this project possible. Depending on the outcome of this testing period, we hope to continue to use sustainable fuel on a long-term basis.”
We’re commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a special week of family-friendly activities this half term (24 May – 1 June).
