Green light for UK’s first high-pressure CNG filling station

CNG Fuels has announced that it has secured planning permission for the UK’s first high-pressure-connected, public-access CNG filling station. The filling station will be located close to junction 28 on the M6 in Leyland, Lancashire and is scheduled to be opened in late 2015.

CNG Fuels said that the station will be capable of refuelling five hundred plus heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) a day, or as much as 3,500 kg of compressed natural gas (CNG) per hour,  and will also supply 100% renewable biomethane (Bio-CNG).

The company claimed that CNG is the lowest cost fuel available to HGVs, as well as having the lowest Well-To-Wheel emissions of any fossil-based HGV fuel.

CNG Fuels spokesperson Philip Fjeld claimed: “Our customers can save more than 40% of their diesel cost, even after the recent drop in diesel prices, and cut CO2 emissions by more than 20% by using CNG. If fleets choose to fuel their trucks with Bio-CNG, they will be running on 100% renewable gas.”

In its statement announcing the planning permission on 6 July, CNG also revealed that the station’s first major customer will be Waitrose, part of John Lewis Partnership, which has a regional distribution centre (RDC) less than a mile away.

Justin Laney, general manager, Central Transport, John Lewis Partnership said: “We see the use of methane, and in particular biomethane, as the main opportunity to make a step change in the carbon emissions of our heavy truck fleet. We’re currently running 44 ‘dual-fuel’ trucks that use a mixture of gas and diesel fuel, and are also interested in running ‘dedicated’ gas trucks. The Leyland gas filling station is in a good location for us, and importantly gives us the opportunity to purchase gas with ‘Green Gas Certificates’.”