Stobart and BOC funding to boost dual-fuel truck market

Stobart Group’s transport and distribution division Eddie Stobart has been testing a small fleet of Volvo dual-fuel vehicles, where liquid natural gas (LNG) replaces up to 90 per cent of the diesel fuel used to drive the engine.

The programme uses standard Volvo engines, mated with a specialist dual-fuel management system. In the event that the system runs out of LNG, the engine switches automatically to normal diesel mode.

Despite the environmental benefits that this new technology offers, Eddie Stobart’s ability to increase the vehicle fleet requires considerable investment, not only in the vehicles themselves, but also in the specialist LNG refueling facilities, of which only a small number exist in the UK at present.

The funding provided by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) will be matched by an investment from Eddie Stobart. This will enable its fleet of Volvo dual-fuel truck units to be increased and allow BOC to install an LNG refuelling station at one of Eddie Stobart’s regional hubs, with access available to other dual-fuel vehicle operators.

The trial aims to determine the ability of the vehicles to achieve up to 90 per cent substitution of diesel by LNG, reduce carbon emissions by up to 25 per cent, and avoid the potential loss of gas vented from conventional systems during refuelling.

The testing of the vehicle and refuelling technologies in the field, as an integrated part of a larger vehicle fleet, will enable further refinement of the technology and provide significant opportunities to help drive sustainability in the logistics sector.