Coca-Cola releases biomethane vehicle trial report
Wed 07 March 2012
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Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has invested in 14 Iveco Stralis gas vehicles running on biomethane and a gas refuelling station at their depot in North London following a twelve month trial to test the technology. Coca-Cola says that the vehicles should save over 300 tonnes of CO2 per annum.
The move to adopt a low carbon fleet follows a year's trial undertaken by the company to evaluate and compare the emissions, cost and operational performance of a 26 tonne Iveco Stralis gas truck powered by biomethane with a conventional diesel Stralis. The trial was carried out in partnership with Iveco (vehicle provider), Gasrec (biomethane supplier) and the Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell technologies - Cenex (independent monitoring body).
Vehicle activity data from the Enfield depot was logged via onboard telemetry and a drive-cycle was produced allowing the vehicles to undergo emissions testing over a representative cycle where air quality performances as well as CO2 and fuel consumption were measured in a controlled environment.
The outcomes of the trial were very positive. The gas vehicle achieved a 50.3 % saving in well-to-wheel GHG emissions, compared to the diesel Stralis vehicle. However, this was calculated using a temporary filling station – a more efficient permanent station being installed at the Coca-Cola depot raises the GHG saving to 60.7 %.
Operating the gas vehicles on biomethane reduced fuel costs by 12.8%. However the total cost of ownership increased by 15.3%; a consequence of the additional capital cost of the gas vehicles.
Drivers rated the overall performance of the gas vehicle higher than the diesel. Additional environmental benefits of the gas vehicle included a marked reduction in air pollution and noise emissions.
Biomethane is a renewable, low carbon and clean burning transport fuel which can be used as a direct substitute for natural gas in a vehicle engine. The main production site in the UK is a redundant landfill site in Surrey operated by Gasrec.
Gas vehicles are a niche market in the UK unlike Europe where the market is more mature and covers a range of vehicle sectors.
With the growing motivation to decarbonise road transport emissions interest in operating commercial vehicles on biomethane is gaining momentum in the UK. There are a number of fleet operators using gas vehicles run on biomethane including Sainsbury's, Laing O’Rourke, London Borough of Camden, Leeds City Council and John Lewis.
For further details about the trial, please follow the associated links.
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