The new station takes CNG directly from the high-pressure transmission system – making it the first of its kind in the UK.
The new high-pressure CNG station is capable of refuelling more than 500 HGVs per day, making it a significant addition to the UK’s alternative truck fuels infrastructure.
Located near to junction 28 on the M6, it is now accessible around the clock, 365 days a year, also supplying 100% Bio-CNG (biomethane) processed from waste at anaerobic digestion plants and delivered to the filling station through the National Grid pipeline.
First to use the station was Waitrose, part of the John Lewis Partnership, with its fleet of branded HGVs based at Waitrose regional distribution centre less than one mile down the road.
“Even though the price of diesel has plummeted, the wholesale price of natural gas has also dropped, and our customers can still enjoy a pump price of CNG that is more than 30% cheaper than the equivalent price of one litre of diesel,” comments Philip Fjeld, director at CNG Fuels.
“Using natural gas also cuts CO2 emissions by more than 20% and if fleets choose to fuel their trucks with bio-CNG, they will be running on 100% renewable gas.”
“CNG dispensed from a station connected to the local transmission system is the cheapest fuel available to HGVs, as well as having the lowest well-to-wheel emissions of any fossil-based HGV fuel,” adds National Grid network strategy director David Parkin.
“Whether it’s CNG or bio-CNG, the benefits for HGVs are clear: lower emissions, quieter engine noise and competitive fuel prices, compared with traditional liquid fuels.”
“Our strategy is to displace diesel with bio-methane where practical, and we run one of the largest alternatively fuelled heavy truck fleets in the UK to enable us to do that,” states Justin Laney, central transport general manager for the John Lewis Partnership.
“This filling station is an important step that will help us continue to improve our fleet sustainability.”