Truckers to get biggest green gas station as U.K. network grows

Construction has started on a gas station supplying green fuel to trucks passing through southwest England that will be a key part of a U.K.-wide network intended to cut emissions from transportation.

The station in Avonmouth should be completed by the end of this year and will supply biomethane, a green gas made from waste, according to CNG Fuels Ltd. The facility, which the company says will be the biggest of its kind, will be able to refuel 80 heavy goods vehicles an hour from 14 high-speed pumps.

CNG Fuels expects to open a further 14 stations by the end of 2022; it already has six others in the U.K.

The vast majority of heavy duty vehicles run on diesel and are more difficult to electrify than passenger cars because of the weight of their cargoes. That makes green gas an attractive option. Trucks or heavy goods vehicles account for 4% of the U.K.’s carbon emissions and using biomethane would cut their pollution by as much as 90%, according to CNG Fuels. It’s also as much as 40% cheaper than diesel.

Biomethane is currently a small industry but it has the potential to scale up, especially when this can be done using existing infrastructure, according to the International Energy Agency.

“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,” said Andy Newnes, commercial director of Romac Logistics Ltd., which will be using the stations.

This “network of refueling infrastructure across the country is giving fleets the confidence to switch to biomethane,” he added.