Biomethane offers the same efficiency at lower costs to operators and the environment, with Gasrec customers reporting CO2 reductions of 80% and cost savings of 20-40%.
With net zero targets looming, consumers demanding emission reductions and haulier operating margins tight, those are numbers the industry can no longer ignore. As more and more operators are turning to biomethane for their long-haul, heavy (40/44T) operations we sit down with James Westcott, CCO of Gasrec, to explore the benefits of bio-LNG and bio-CNG and what the barriers are to change.
With over twenty years in the market, Gasrec is the UK’s first and largest dual supplier of bio-LNG and bio-CNG to the road transport industry. Speaking about the changes it has seen in the market, James says:
“We’ve seen a lot of customers hold out over the years, hoping that EV, hydrogen and other technologies will be the answer, but the truth is those technologies just aren’t there yet and we could be looking at five or six buying cycles before they are.
“Operators both big and small can’t hold out any longer, the cost is too high. Biomethane is deployable today, its RFTO-certified and compliant with Zemo Partnership fuel declarations, helping customers hit their reporting and net zero targets. On average, we are saving our operators 130T CO2 equivalent* every year with each truck they deploy.”
But is the transition to biomethane really that easy?
Yes, according to Gasrec.
“We talk about a change without compromise. Bio-LNG trucks offer the same power and range, equivalent refuelling times and schedules, and they are compatible with the same trailers. They can slot into your existing operation and importantly driver feedback is incredibly positive.”
Fuel availability and security are other potential barriers operators’ cite. Just how easy is it for an operator, particularly a small operator without their own depot station, to access biomethane?
“We have the UK’s largest network of bio-LNG and bio-CNG refuelling stations that cover the major trunking routes, allowing our customers to cover the length and breadth of the UK.
“We have station uptimes >99%, thanks to our unique UK-based remote monitoring centre and engineering network that offers round the clock fuel monitoring and support and we are able to offer our customers supply chain security through our investors bp and Centrica.
“Our focus now is expanding our high-capacity, public sites that can each refuel over 1,000 trucks daily – we already own and operate DIRFT, Europe’s largest open-access bio-LNG refuelling station, we opened Hams Hall earlier this year, Omega Park is under construction, with Avonmouth, Spalding and two more sites to follow next year. These sites truly open up the biomethane market to small hauliers and owner-operators, and we’re really pleased to see an increasing number using them.”
If you’d like to find out more about the viability of biomethane for your business, you can get in contact with Gasrec at info@gasrec.co.uk and on +4420 8191 7079.
*based on a 44T bio-LNG truck with an annual mileage of 180,000km
