FuelActive Wins Colas Sustainability Award for Leading Carbon Reduction
FuelActive has been recognised by Colas for delivering significant annual carbon savings, improved reliability, and a compelling return on investment across the UK rail fleet.
Written on: 15th July 2025
Share this
Carbon Reduction
FuelActive delivered 4–7% average fuel savings across grinders, tampers and millers, equating to up to 365 tonnes CO₂e saved annually.
Fleetwide Adoption
Colas Rail UK has rolled out FuelActive across grinders, tampers, millers and freight locomotives, with further Group discussions underway.
Rapid Payback
FuelActive delivers annual savings of £3,907–£6,837 per train and achieves a typical ROI in under one year, supported by up to four-times longer fuel-filter life.
Award recognition
FuelActive has been named the winner of the Colas Sustainability Award – Leading Carbon Reduction in Plant and Machinery. The award was presented to CEO Max Lytle MA by Faiçal Lahmamsi, CEO of Colas, and Jean-Pierre Bertrand, CEO of Colas Rail. FuelActive was recognised “for their innovative, scalable technology that enhances fuel efficiency while delivering a compelling return on investment.” This award reflects more than a year of collaboration with Colas Rail UK to reduce emissions across key parts of the rail fleet.
Proven carbon savings
Across extensive trials, FuelActive delivered 4–7% average fuel savings, with peaks reaching 12.3% on certain grinding machinery. This translates to up to 13,729 litres of diesel saved annually per train, equal to 36 tonnes CO₂e reduced per engine, per year. When applied across the Colas Rail UK fleet of grinders, tampers and millers, the annualised impact is a 365-tonne CO₂e reduction.
These results support Colas Rail UK’s commitment to phasing out diesel-only trains by 2040.
Rollout across the fleet
FuelActive is now installed or approved on:
- All grinders
- All tampers
- All milling machines
- Class 37 and Class 66 freight locomotives
FuelActive installs in less than an hour and fits almost any tank design, enabling fast deployment across mixed fleets.
Discussions are underway with Colas France and Eastern Europe to explore further adoption.e further adoption.
Engineering innovation
FuelActive replaces the standard pick-up pipe with a floating unit that draws from the cleanest layer of fuel in the tank. This improves combustion efficiency, reduces CO₂ emissions and extends component life.
Bespoke designs have been developed for grinder trains, tampers, millers and freight locomotives to suit the tight tank access on each platform.
Outlook
With 90% of UK rail freight still powered by diesel, FuelActive offers a practical and scalable way to deliver measurable carbon reduction today.
Colas Rail UK’s adoption demonstrates the potential for cleaner, more efficient operation without the need for major system changes or costly new equipment.
FuelActive looks forward to expanding this success across additional rail fleets and further into the Colas Group.
