Reed Boardall opens first Bio-LNG refuelling station at Boroughbridge base

Reed Boardall said the environmental benefit of running its HGV fleet on a renewable fuel was the key driver in opening its first Bio-LNG station.

Owned and operated by Gasrec, the fully scalable, skid-mounted refuelling hub has been designed by LIQAL and installed at the frozen food distributor's Boroughbridge HQ. It will fuel an initial fleet of 30 Volvo FH LNG 6x2 tractor units.

The move is a major part of its strategy to transition its 220-strong fleet away from diesel.

MD Graeme Richardson said: “The government has set very stringent targets to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 and we are determined to play our part and meet those goals.

“We pride ourselves on being a forward-thinking, sustainable operation. Volvo’s LNG trucks are proven to vastly reduce CO2 emissions and we have been very impressed with the performance and reliability since first putting the trucks on the road in March 2020. Opening this site reaffirms our commitment to moving the fleet towards a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly fuel.”

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Bio-LNG-powered trucks can return CO2 savings as high as 95%, plus deliver an impressive 99% reduction in particulate matter and 90% in NO2 emissions compared to equivalent Euro-6 diesel trucks. HGVs running on gas are also around 50% quieter than their diesel equivalents.

Reed Boardall’s LNG fleet is predominantly working on fixed routes, delivering frozen foods to regional distribution centres. The FH LNGs offer a range of 470-480 miles per tank, comfortably enough for return journeys around north and central England without needing to stop and refuel.

The next step is for a further station to be installed in Scotland later in the year to support a planned order for a further 40 new Volvo FH LNG tractor units.

“We’re working closely with the team at Gasrec and that collaborative approach will help us to greatly expand our LNG fleet over the next couple of years as the infrastructure allows. The trucks are working extremely well for us and we anticipate that by this summer we will have roughly a third of our fleet running on gas,” Richardson added.

James Westcott, chief commercial officer of Gasrec, said: “We chose to work with LIQAL on this project because we saw great synergy in our ambition and commitment to innovation. This station is an ideal solution for Reed Boardall, being capable of comfortably supporting its 30 gas vehicles, with the scalability to grow as the business puts more gas trucks into service.

“We are looking forward to adding further infrastructure for the company to help them in their plans to make the move to a cleaner, safer and cheaper fuel.”