Leeds Council's Mercedes-Benz Econic NGT
Leeds Council in the UK will soon have its own permanent biomethane fuel station, to be opened at Cross Green. The £150,000 (USD 240,000) station will serve the city’s two biomethane gas-powered rubbish trucks, providing fuel storage and easier refilling at the pumps. According to the Council, biomethane offers significant cost savings as well as environmental benefits.
Councillor Tom Murray, Leeds City Council executive member for environmental services, said: “This is a very exciting opportunity for Leeds to be at the forefront of green technology in our region while also realising real savings in the cost of running essential vehicles.” Murray was also excited about the prospects the new plant offered the Council and other local organisations for green-fleet operations.
The two vehicles, the first NGVs operated by the Council, are a Mercedes-Benz Econic NGT recycling truck that is fully powered by the gas and a Dennis Eagle Elite dual-fuel rubbish truck that runs on diesel and biomethane, both of which were introduced nine months ago.
The equipment was provided by Gas Container Services, a Nottingham-based company providing a range of products and services relating to gas cylinders, storage, transportation and dispensing, Leeds Council told NGV Global News. The equipment can dispense gas at the rate of 200 – 220kg/hour.
The majority of funding for the new station has come from Cenex, (Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell technologies) under the Department for Transport Alternative Fuels Infrastructure grant program.
A Leeds Council spokesperson explained to NGV Global News that currently the biomethane comes from landfill outside the area, although future supply may be generated locally.
