Energy company Shell is supplying Bio-LNG to EDEKA Minden-Hannover and two other customers in a one-year trial run in Germany, which it views as an important step towards further expansion of its Bio-LNG plants for long-haulage.
EDEKA Minden-Hannover has dedicated three of the IVECO S-WAY natural gas trucks in its fleet to the pilot project.
As the use of Bio-LNG is gaining traction in Germany, energy company Shell is supplying this sustainable fuel to EDEKA Minden-Hannover and two other customers in a pilot project. Each participant will run three trucks on the Bio-LNG provided for a year, significantly reducing their carbon emissions during this time. The supermarket cooperative has dedicated three of its IVECO S-WAY natural gas trucks to the project.
A commitment to zero emissions transport and lower city centre pollution
EDEKA Minden-Hannover has a long-standing commitment to sustainability, with a focus on making its goods supply chain as environmentally friendly as possible. This has led the company to addressing the sustainability of its fleet, which now includes 10 IVECO Stralis NP and 40 IVECO S-WAY natural gas trucks.
"The conversion of our vehicle fleet, which represents the backbone of all of our logistics activities, is a key lever in reducing our carbon footprint," sums up Thomas Steinlein, Head of Fleet and Transport Management at EDEKA Minden-Hannover. "The use of Bio-LNG throughout would of course be a major step forward towards achieving zero emissions. We are therefore delighted to participate in this pilot project to show what this advanced biofuel can contribute to achieving this aim." However, another important aspect is also the avoidance of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM): "Our vehicles operate primarily and frequently in highly polluted inner cities. By using LNG or even Bio-LNG, we are already considerably reducing these pollution values."
On the path towards decarbonisation of road freight transport with Shell Bio-LNG
The Bio-LNG used by Shell is produced from agricultural waste. It meets the criteria of the European Union's revised Renewable Energy Directive (REDII), and is a sustainable circular economy product. Accordingly, EDEKA Minden-Hannover and the other customers will receive statements with regard to the product's sustainability and carbon benefits.
Head of Shell Germany Fabian Ziegler views this Bio-LNG trial run in Germany as a very important step towards the further expansion of Shell's Bio-LNG plans for long-distance haulage: "A Nordsol Bio-LNG plant is scheduled to begin production as soon as this summer, and will feed into our European supply network. After that, we will be progressing in leaps and bounds, as we have submitted a planning permission application in Cologne for a 100,000 tonne plant for the production of Bio-LNG at the Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland, and hope to break ground this autumn. This would enable us to supply our Shell LNG filling stations in Germany and their customers with Bio-LNG throughout the country as early as 2023, and help to reduce the carbon emissions caused by long-distance haulage by up to a million tonnes."
A green fleet with IVECO’s industry-leading natural gas technology
The IVECO Stralis NP and the IVECO S-WAY natural gas in EDEKA Minden-Hannover’s fleet are equipped with Cursor 13 natural gas engines that comply with Euro VI step D emissions standards, can run on 100% Bio-LNG of the quality available on the market. No technical modifications or special adaptations are needed to operate on Bio-LNG, and the warranty terms and service intervals are the same as when running on diesel. The two large 54- litre tanks of a 460-hp 4x2, IVECO natural gas truck can hold at least 390 kg of Bio-LNG, providing autonomy of up to 1,600 kilometres without refuelling. Compared to a diesel truck, they emit considerably less nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions, and the CO2 is up to 95 percent lower. This means unrestricted access to low emission zones in city centres, now and in the future. In addition to their low fuel consumption, the IVECO natural gas tractor units in EDEKA Minden-Hannover’s fleet also impress with their quiet operation, which makes them perfect for areas with noise restrictions and night-time deliveries to its supermarkets.
