Lower-carbon Volvo trucks for Flogas
Flogas Britain go greener as UK’s first gas supplier to use Volvo Bio-LNG-powered trucks
FLOGAS Britain, one of the UK’s leading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) suppliers to the aggregates industry, have become the first UK gas supplier to operate Bio-LNG-powered Volvo trucks.
The new trucks are part of the company’s 2040 vision to build a lower-carbon future in the UK – offering 100% renewable energy solutions – and will see Flogas cut carbon emissions by more than 80%, compared with conventional diesel engines, whilst significantly reducing costs.
Supplied by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia Ltd, the two Bio-LNG-powered Volvo FM tractor units are powered by Volvo’s G13C460 LNG engines, which develop 460hp at 1,700–1,800 rev/min, in addition to a peak torque figure of 2,300Nm delivered from 1,100–1,300 rev/min.
The new tractor units will be used for logistical operations transporting bulk LPG and LNG nationwide. They will join Flogas’s existing delivery network, which also includes a number of dual-fuel and electric hybrid-powered vehicles, as part of long-term plans to grow the company’s fleet of alternatively fuelled vehicles.
‘These trucks are just the first of many, as we look to make our 200-strong fleet cleaner, greener and increasingly future-proof,’ said James Goodson, Flogas’s newly appointed national account manager for alternative transport fuels.
‘They will each be powered by approximately 30 tonnes of renewable Bio-LNG each year – a highly sustainable biofuel that’s produced during the anaerobic digestion process. This means they’ll be 50% quieter, will release significantly fewer pollutants and fuel costs will be far lower.’
Flogas opted for the Bio-LNG Volvo trucks following in-depth trials with a variety of different manufacturers’ vehicles being put through their paces fulfilling both bulk and cylinder operations.
‘When it came to delivering the cleanest emissions, the lowest noise and most efficient running costs, Volvo Trucks came out on top,’ said Tim Eaton, head of Flogas’s logistics team.
‘This is the first time we’ve worked with Volvo, but they have strong experience in LNG-powered vehicles and the results of the trials simply spoke for themselves. We’re excited to get these trucks on the road and growing our Bio-LNG-powered fleet further.’
