Optare dual-fuel buses enter service in Lincoln 31 May 2011

Completion of a project to convert Optare Solos to run on in dual-fuel mode, with diesel and bio-methane, sees 11 of green buses entering service in Lincoln.

Optare can now offer dual-fuel conversions for both four-cylinder Mercedes-Benz and six-cylinder Cummins engined buses that are Euro 3 or greater emissions compliant.

Optare chief operating officer Glenn Saint explains that the conversion – which uses Hardstaff OIGI (oil ignition gas injection) system – can be from new or retrofitted.

In this case, the Solos were between six and seven years old and had clocked up more than 300,000 miles.

The Lincoln operators can now expect up to 40% reduced CO2 emissions and similarly improved fuel economy. And, as vehicles converted to dual-fuel are classed as low carbon buses, they also benefit from an extra 6p per kilometre in BSOG.

The project was funded by Lincolnshire County Council and the East Midlands Development Agency, with £360,000. Stagecoach East Midlands provided the buses from its Lincoln-based fleet and also met the cost of internal refurbishment and repainting.

Preparation of the vehicles began at Optare's low carbon conversion centre in Blackburn, where the Cummins engines were removed, using the Solos' removable power-plant cradle. They were then assessed and mapped by Hardstaff, ready for new ECUs calibrated to the characteristics of each engine, and fitting of a new exhaust system.

Meanwhile, Optare modified the roof structure to fit a purpose-built cradle for the gas tanks, along with a fibreglass cover. The engines were then refitted and the vehicles sent to Hardstaff for final connections, before full bus re-certification, including tilt-testing.

"This is a very good application of the green technology we can offer under our Eco Drive programme. It solves a number of issues at a stroke," comments Saint.

"CO2 emissions and fuel costs are reduced and material that would otherwise be buried can be used to produce the biomethane, with the resultant waste providing a useful fertiliser for agricultural use," he adds.

Author
Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Hardstaff Group Ltd
Optare plc

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