UK: CNG Fuels to open five new renewable biomethane stations

The company plans to add a further eight sites in 2020, making biomethane fuel available throughout the UK, from Scotland to the south-west.

CNG Fuels has strated the construction of two new public access renewable biomethane compressed natural gas (Bio-CNG) refuelling stations, two of five due to open in 2019 to cater for soaring demand from HGV operators switching from diesel, the company announced.

The new public access Bio-CNG stations will serve major truck routes and cities, and will be able to refuel up to 3000 HGVs a day, a near 500% increase on capacity at the company’s existing stations at Leyland, Lancashire and Crewe, Cheshire, which can refuel more than 600 vehicles daily.

Construction work on a station in Warrington, at Omega South on the M62, has begun. It is expected to be the largest public access gas refuelling station in Europe, catering to several major hauliers based in the area. It will be able to refuel up to 800 HGVs a day and serve 12 vehicles simultaneously.

CNG Fuels has also commenced construction at Erdington, close to the M6 in Birmingham. The station will be able to refuel more than 600 HGVs a day, and will be built on land belonging to Cadent, operators of Britain’s biggest gas distribution network. Cadent, with whom CNG Fuels have collaborated previously on Leyland CNG station, have committed to convert their entire fleet from diesel to CNG.

The stations are due to open in the autumn together with a third, previously announced station at the Red Lion Truckstop off the M1 at Northampton, which will be able to refuel more than 350 HGVs a day. The Northampton station is part of the UK’s first large-scale study of how renewable and sustainable biomethane can help slash road transport emissions, supported by the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV) in partnership with Innovate UK.

CNG Fuels expects to start construction on two more public access stations in the autumn, at Larkhall in Scotland and Knowsley, near Liverpool.

The company has also launched a new Bio-CNG tractor unit, which will allow trucks carrying loads of up to 44 tonnes to benefit from renewable and sustainable biomethane. The 6×2 unit has been developed in collaboration with Iveco and Agility Fuel Solutions. As a well-established OEM manufactured technology with proven benefits, Bio-CNG is well placed for mass adoption.

“Renewable and sustainable biomethane allows companies to achieve deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, cut pollution and save money – no wonder demand is soaring. Our customers are already planning to order hundreds of new biomethane fuelled trucks in 2019 and we have interest from companies which run a third of the UK’s HGVs”, says CNG Fuels CEO, Philip Fjeld.