CNG Fuels has announced it will open the world’s largest public access biomethane refuelling station for HGVs by the end of the year near Bristol.
Construction has begun on the Avonmouth station, near the M4/M5 junction, which will be capable of refuelling 80 HGVs an hour from 14 high-speed dispensers.
It will join six existing refuelling stations already operational across the UK, enabling fleet operators to deploy low-carbon deliveries from Inverness all the way down to Cornwall.
CNG Fuels expects to open a further 14 stations by the end of 2022 in response to growing demand from household brands. Major brands that will use the station in Avonmouth include Warburtons, Farm Foods, Hermes and regional water utility company, Wessex Water.
Steven Gray, Warburtons National Transport Manager, said: “Switching our HGV fleet from diesel to biomethane will be critical for reaching our transport decarbonisation goals. CNG Fuels’ new low-carbon refuelling station in Avonmouth is perfectly situated for our distribution centres in the region and will extend the range of low-carbon deliveries we can make across the country.”
According to CNG Fuels, demand for Bio-CNG from fleet operators is growing at around 100% per annum, and the company is forecasting this will continue to accelerate, and that by 2025 about 10% of the UK’s high-mileage HGV fleet will be running on Bio-CNG.
Philip Fjeld, CEO of CNG Fuels, said: “Avonmouth is a key site for CNG Fuels’ expansion across the UK. The site will allow companies to use low-carbon fuel for regular routes between London, the Midlands, South Wales, Cornwall and Devon. Such a strategically crucial location requires our biggest refuelling station yet. This station will enable even more fleet operators and hauliers to reduce their carbon emissions and save money.”
Andy Newnes, commercial director of Romac Logistics, said: “We’ve seen demand from our customers for greener logistics and a need to demonstrate a clear sustainability strategy as they seek to reduce their supply chain and transport emissions. CNG Fuels’ strategic network of refuelling infrastructure across the country is giving fleets the confidence to switch to biomethane. The scale of the new station in Avonmouth highlights just how rapidly the demand for cleaner, more affordable HGV fuel is growing.”
Kate Royston, director at SevernNet said: “We welcome the arrival of CNG Fuels’ first refuelling station in the Portbury-Avonmouth-Severnside area. The site is an important step in the decarbonisation of HGV transport across the area, and will enable low carbon deliveries throughout the region and beyond.”
Sean Hill, Bioresources Manager at Wessex Water said: “We see biomethane as an excellent opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint of our haulage operations, as well as allowing us to operate more efficiently. This station, as well as others around the region, will allow a much wider uptake of CNG vehicles, which in turn will improve air quality and sustainability.”
According to CNG Fuels its strategic network of refuelling stations is also ideally placed to support battery electric and low-carbon hydrogen powered HGVs in the future and the company is consulting on how its stations can best accommodate these technologies when they become commercially viable.
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