Northern Gas Networks (NGN) has secured a £770,000 Network Innovation Competition funding grant from Ofgem (Office of Gas and Electricity Markets) for essential work to link Bradford’s Alternative Fuel Center to the natural gas network. The move brings the development of a CNG filling station on Bowling Back Lane a step closer, by linking it into the local gas transmission system operated by NGN.
The plans will see the Household Waste Recycling Center on Bowling Back Lane redeveloped by 2021 to provide the facility for the Council and other local business fleets including NGN. As well as helping achieve the Council’s climate change targets, the use of alternative fuels would also provide a cost saving both for the Local Authority and other businesses taking advantage of the facility. NGN has committed 15 fleet vehicles to use the site.
“Transport is a key piece of the decarbonization jigsaw. Alternative fuels like CNG allow us to take a step towards moving large fleets, such as our own, towards a cleaner and greener future,” said Richard Hynes-Cooper, Head of Innovation for Northern Gas Networks. “We’re delighted to be working with Bradford Council on such a significant project for the city and the region.”
Ofgem’s Gas Network Innovation Competition is an annual opportunity for natural gas network companies to compete for a pot of £20 million funding, for the development and demonstration of new technologies. Funding is provided for the best innovation projects helping networks understand how they can deliver environmental benefits, reduced costs and maintained security of energy supply for customers, as the UK moves to a low carbon economy.
“The Alternative Fuel Center is an important part of our plans to reduce air pollution and reduce our carbon footprint. This grant takes us a step closer and we thankful for the work NGN have been doing to help get us to this point. We look forward to continuing to work with them to complete this project,” commented Councilor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for Healthy People and Healthy Places.
The Council plans to replace 77 heavy trucks with CNG variants over the next seven years including 22 in the financial year 2021/22. These would include refuse collection vehicles, articulated trucks, tankers and hook-loaders. On average, each vehicle currently consume 14,000 liters of diesel per annum and, by switching fuels, the project will achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions of 85% for each. It is estimated that this will reduce the Bradford’s fleet GHG emissions by almost 12,400 tons over the next seven years.
Source: Northern Gas Networks
