Truck fleet owners in Finland and Sweden bet on biogas

In both countries, large-fleet owners see biogas as a more viable option than hybrid or electricity solutions.

A recent survey analyzed how environmental issues are viewed by Finnish and Swedish heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) fleet owners. According to the results, customers’ environmental expectations have increased in both Finland and Sweden, and 82% of fleet owners in both countries agree that an environment-focused mindset is a permanent phenomenon and not a passing trend.

The Nordic energy company Gasum commissioned Value Clinic to conduct a survey on how Finnish and Swedish heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) fleet owners view environmental issues, as well as on their thoughts on the various fuel solutions. According to the results, 60% of fleet owners that have more than 16 HDVs see biogas as a viable fuel option in Finland in the near future, and 33% of Swedish large-fleet owners agree.

“I’m very happy that already today the large-fleet owners of Finland and Sweden see the benefits of LNG and LBG in road transport. If a company with 16 HDVs switched from conventional fuels to gas, this would mean significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions as the annual emissions of one HDV are equal to those of 40–50 passenger cars. I strongly recommend that also small-fleet owners consider making the switch. This would be a great solution for hauling companies to stand out in a highly competitive logistics market,” says Jukka Metsälä, Vice President, Traffic, Gasum.

According to the survey, fleet owners consider LNG and LBG’s strengths to be the fuel cost savings, emission reductions and the constantly expanding filling station network.

The results also show that over half of all fleet owners in Finland and Sweden have witnessed an increase in environmental expectations from their customers over the last few years. In addition, nearly 60% of Finnish and 82% of Swedish respondents believe that some of their HDVs will be using a low-emission fuel in five years’ time and are interested in introducing alternative fuels in their operations.

“Our observations align with the fleet owners’; there’s increasing demand for environmentally friendly solutions in heavy transportation. It’s also clear from the results that this will not change soon, as only 18% believe that caring about the environment is a temporary phenomenon," Jani Arala, Senior Manager, sales, Traffic, Gasum, points out.