Anglian Water is making history as the UK utility industry’s first fully electric jetting 4-tonne van hits the region’s roads.

Under the project, a 4-tonne electric van has been fitted with a fully electric jetting machine – making it the first of its kind in the UK. The van will be used for industrial sewer cleaning, providing silent operation and allowing the company to minimise disruption and noise in local communities during late night call-outs.

It marks a significant step in Anglian’s decarbonisation efforts, which will see 90% of small vehicles replaced with electric equivalents, medium-sized vehicles moved to hydrogen or alternative fuels, and 55% of HGVs using liquefied natural gas by 2030.

Alongside the new jetting van, the water company will also take delivery of 40 range-extended hybrid vans, 43 fully electric small vans and 200 electric cars over the coming months.

Mick Farmer, head of fleet services at Anglian Water, said: “Every year, our vans drive 20 million miles – the equivalent of going to the moon and back 24 times – so going electric is essential for us to reach net zero by 2030.

“Innovations such as this new fully electric jetting van have the potential to revolutionise our everyday work. We’re always working to eliminate the impact of what we do on the environment, and being able to jet clean sewers with an electric jetting machine on electric van will not only cut carbon emissions, but prevent sewer blockages which can cause pollution.”