Ipswich Town is going greener. It has switched all its ground machinery from diesel to cleaner-burning Shell GTL fuel to improve air quality at its training ground.
The club plans to monitor the fuel's performance in its training centre's fleet of mowers and tractors and measure its benefits to the environment, grounds staff and local community.
If successful, the initial off-road delivery of 2,250 litres of may be increased to serve the ground machinery used at Ipswich Town's Portman Road stadium as well.
Ipswich Town Football Club grounds manager Ben Connell said: "We believed that the club - and our neighbours - would benefit from adopting an odourless fuel with lower emissions that can reduce noise levels in engines. The grounds staff work with machinery all day and we were conscious of how regular diesel emissions may have been affecting their health and wellbeing.
"Furthermore, our Playford Road Training Centre in Rushmere St Andrew is surrounded by a number of residential properties and we felt a responsibility to minimise the environmental impact on the local community. Shell GTL fuel was an ideal solution."
He said the switch had been seamless with no teething problems.
Shell (Gas to Fuel) fuel is shown to reduce nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions so is kinder for the environment.
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