On behalf Transports de Barcelona S.A. (TMB), Francisco González provided an overview about the city’s current situation regarding population, mobility and fleet characteristics. With “Barcelona and the Environment: TMB Hybrid CNG,” he spoke about an Air Quality Plan to reduce local emissions and meet European requirements. As a high fuel user, especially due to the low speed of the buses, TMB suggests implementing hybrid technology to reduce fuel consumption by more than 30%, and thus has developed a transformation project to transition to hybrid vehicles, where CNG is used as electricity generator.
Phil Spittle (Photo 4) presented “Barriers to Natural Gas Vehicles; a UK Perspective,” which focused on emissions reduction, air quality and sustainable Transport & Distribution of goods as well as identifying emerging technologies and alternative fuels through collaboration with vehicle manufacturers, fuel suppliers and industry groups. “We need long-term government incentives, such as tax reduction,” he said, while he also stressed the lack of LNG public fueling infrastructure and limited mileage range of vehicles as one of the main challenges. In 2012, Stobart added 20 Volvo dual-fuel FM13 vehicles, 10 operating on long distance trucking between UK and Scotland (4800 km per week) and 10 operating from depot in North West UK back to base (3600 km per week); however, routing is still restricted to proximity of LNG supply.
Jason Palmer, from ICA Group (Sweden’s largest grocery retailer) was another speaker of Customer Experiences Workshop. “As the country’s largest transport buyer, we need the industry to come together and give us a packaged solution that works now, logistics is a key sector,” he commented. His presentation “Methane Diesel – Testing Times in Swedish Retail” gave details of the trials ICA has conducted for over 12 months with Scania trucks. “We feel confident about the technology and happy about the tests, but for a large-scale implementation we still need a national fueling network, fuel cost reliability and dual fuel trucks availability,” he added.
Finally, the lecture “Dual Fuel in Action” included both Joe Carthy from Tesco and Rob Wood from Gasrec. These companies have a partnership that involves the deployment of dual-fuel trucks as well as the opening of UK’s first Bio-LNG station. Having one of the largest distribution networks in the UK, Tesco set up a key environmental challenge: reducing CO2 per case delivered by 50% by 2012 against a baseline of 2007, what was successfully achieved thanks to the company’s “F plan,” according to Carthy. Besides, Tesco has established new targets for 2020, such as reducing CO2 per case by 25% compared to 2012. For that there are 35 dual fuel tractors in operation, which refuel at Gasrec station, and there are plans to deploy another 35 in August.
Moreover, Wood remarked the recent opening of their fueling facility in Daventry and that today there are more green vehicles available and “customers like Tesco.” “As a business, we produce and supply the fuel the consumer wants, emissions reduction in combination with cost reduction, that’s Bio-LNG,” he said. The company currently supplies natural gas to seven dedicated refueling stations and to customers through their new open-access station and seeks to roll out a network with initially eight stations strategically located in major logistics hubs across the UK.
