Schwedt/Leipzig, December 7, 2020 – VERBIO puts its foot on the pedal and makes further investments in its logistics department, creating climate-neutral vehicle fleet. By taking delivery of 8 new Scania CNG HGVs and 1 new biodiesel HGV, VERBIO Logistic GmbH’s green vehicle fleet now includes 18 CNG and 4 biodiesel HGVs. The stated objective is that by the end of 2021 the Group will have switched to alternative powertrains for all of its 80 HGVs, which will be mostly fuelled using biofuels from VERBIO’s own production. From mid-2021 the first LNG-HGVs will also be added to the fleet. VERBIO has announced the large commercial-scale availability of BioLNG for the German and European market from that time.
“Two years ago we tested the first CNG HGVs for use in long-distance freight transport, and from the start we were very satisfied with the performance statistics and the cost efficiency. In addition, we are able to fuel these HGVs with our own biomethane from straw, which makes them almost climate-neutral. The decision to make a step-by-step conversion of the entire vehicle fleet was then a logical conclusion,” explained Bernd Sauter, Member of the Management Board of VERBIO AG with responsibility for logistics.
VERBIO has chosen Scania R 410 A4x2NA and R 410 A4x2NB models, which have 410 PS and torque of 2,000 Nm, making them able to meet the demands of both local and long-distance vehicle freight transport. The gas pressure tanks mounted on both sides of the vehicle carry approximately 163 kilogrammes of CNG or biomethane, giving the vehicles a range of up to 550km. They are powered with 13 litre, 6 cylinder gas monovalent engines.
Stefan Ziegert, Scania Deutschland’s Product Manager for sustainable transport solutions, is pleased with Scania’s cooperation with VERBIO in the conversion project: “VERBIO is a lighthouse in two ways: it is leading the way in manufacturing biofuels, and it is a leader as a company, in that it is taking a decisive step forward by making its own vehicle fleet climate-friendly.”
Ziegert also confirmed the current trend towards gas-powered vehicles in the HGV segment: “Just three years ago there were only 232 gas-powered HGVs registered in Germany, and these were primarily in the municipal sector. Now, at the end of 2020, there are almost 6,000 HGVs using CNG/LNG powertrains in the logistics sector.”
Straw in the fuel tank: the climate-neutral solution for long-distance goods transport
At the current time the use of biofuels is the only way to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions from long-distance heavy goods vehicles. E-mobility has no practical and economic solution for this segment in the near future, either in terms of the vehicles on offer or in terms of the battery-charging infrastructure.
Biodiesel from rapeseed oil represent a climate-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, reducing CO2 emissions by at least 70 percent compared to conventional diesel. In addition, biofuels contribute to an increase in added value generated by local agriculture – on the one hand by using local products in the manufacturing process, and on the other hand by recycling straw waste into protein-rich animal feed, which is created as a by-product of the biodiesel manufacturing process.
By using biomethane from waste materials and from straw, CNG/LNG heavy goods vehicles reduce CO2 emissions by 90 percent, which means that they can be operated at emissions levels which are close to climate-neutral. The potential raw material potential is large, and a long way from being exhausted: in Germany alone 20 million tonnes of excess straw are created annually, which could be used to generate enough biomethane to power at least 200,000 heavy goods vehicles. In addition, further volumes of biomethane can be manufactured from other agricultural waste such as liquid manure, manure and green waste. VERBIO is currently Europe’s leading industrial-scale manufacturer of biomethane, offering this fuel in the form of BioCNG (as a gas). BioLNG (as a fluid) is currently in the planning stage.
“From the middle of next year, VERBIO will also provide BioLNG for the German and European market. Then we will concentrate on the use of LNG HGVs. LNG heavy goods vehicles have a significantly greater range compared to CNG heavy goods vehicles, giving our logistics even more advantages for long distance use,” explained Bernd Sauter.
Gas power combines climate protection with cost efficiency
Natural gas HGVs are more comfortable and quieter than diesel HGVs. Nationally, in Germany there are approximately 850 filling stations that offer not only fossil natural gas, but also renewable methane. In addition, the German LNG filling station network is developing rapidly; there are currently around 50 LNG filling stations in operation in the country. The Federal Ministry of Transport offers a subsidy programme to support logistics companies to purchase low-emission HGVs. In addition, CNG/LNG heavy goods vehicles continue to be exempt from toll payments until at least the end of 2023.
Operating at an annual rate of 100,000 km, the saving generated by the toll exemption is approximately EUR 18,000 each year, which means that the conversion of the vehicle fleet quickly pays for itself.
“There has never been a better time to buy natural gas heavy-goods vehicles. The Federal Minister for Transport has provided logistic operations with the right incentive to make a quick change to the cleaner fuel. Now it depends on whether the subsidy of BioCNG and BioLNG will be integrated into the Federal Government’s long-term strategy for commercial vehicles. Because biomethane is more than a bridging technology; biomethane is an important part of making a success of the energy transformation,” stressed Claus Sauter, Chairman of the VERBIO AG Management Board.
CNG Club e. V. also supports this demand. “Biomethane must definitely be part of the political agenda. Biomethane is the future of CNG fuel, and the only way to run combustion engine vehicles in a climate-neutral way. And in the transport sector, we will continue to be dependent on them for a long time,” added Birgit-Maria Wöber, a member of the club’s Management Board.
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