British multinational grocery and general merchandise retailer Tesco has committed a fleet of heavy goods vehicles to fill up at facilities run by Gasrec, supplier of Bio-LNG. The deal will cut Tesco’s CO2 emissions by a minimum of 15 percent, with a 90 percent reduction in NOx and particulate matter emissions, helping Tesco to achieve its target of reducing emissions per case of goods delivered by 25 percent by 2020 (from 2011 baseline).
Thirty-five Mercedes dual-fuel vehicles will run on Bio-LNG from Gasrec’s refuelling station at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal: an installation that will officially open to all dual-fuel LGVs next month (May), much like a traditional petrol station.
Bio-LNG is Gasrec’s proprietary, future-proof blend of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid biomethane (LBM) – a natural, green source of renewable energy produced from organic matter such as household food waste and sewage.
The agreement with Tesco follows the supermarket securing funding from the government-backed Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform (LCVIP) which provides match-funded grants to businesses best able to nurture low-carbon vehicle technologies.
Tesco Distribution’s group environmental manager, Joe Carthy, said: “A gas refuelling station on our doorstep is ideal for us. We are committed to converting vehicles to dual-fuel and reducing carbon emissions. Gasrec’s infrastructure and Bio-LNG fuel will allow us to do this across our network in years to come.”
Gasrec’s commercial development manager, Doug Leaf, said: “The public and private sectors are really seeing the ability of Bio-LNG to cut costs and pollution, and our green credentials have been recognised by the government through its LCVIP funding. We’re very confident at Gasrec that more and more people will come to us, giving us the opportunity to expand our infrastructure even further and deliver savings and environmental benefits to a wider market.”
Daventry in Northamptonshire is the first of seven stations which Gasrec is building to complete the UK’s first strategic refuelling infrastructure for gas-powered vehicles at multiple locations across the UK road network. The station will open May 2013.
Information on LCVIP available by clicking here.
(Source: Gasrec)
