Gasrec has completed the acquisition of five Bio-LNG (liquified natural gas) refuelling stations and four cryogenic trailers, following the withdrawal of BOC from the LNG UK road transport market.
BOC stopped supply for LNG trucks in March, and is not making any comment about its decision to withdraw from the LNG market.
Gasrec is a major fuel provider for gas-powered commercial vehicles on UK roads. It supplies, builds and operates Bio-LNG and Bio-CNG refuelling stations, enabling fleets to take advantage of a fuel which is significantly cheaper and better for the environment than diesel.
The immediate investment by Gasrec reinforces its long-term commitment to helping operators transition from diesel to a cleaner and lower cost fuel. Over the past two years Gasrec has seen a huge spike in demand, with the company now supplying approximately seven times more biomethane to fleets than at the start of 2019.
“Bio-LNG is proven to be the most environmentally-friendly fuel currently on the market for long-haul operations and will continue to be so for some time to come,” says James Westcott, Chief Commercial Officer at Gasrec.
“We are focused on ensuring the infrastructure and supply line is there for every operator in the country which wants to make the move to Bio-LNG, and this latest and significant investment will help us to press ahead with those plans at pace.”
The five refuelling stations – similar in size to the skid-mounted facility Gasrec installed at Gregory Distribution’s Cullompton depot earlier this year – will now undergo refurbishment and upgrade work before being deployed as Gasrec facilities to sites across the country.
The four tri-axle tankers, which can each carry up to 20 tonnes of Bio-LNG, will join Gasrec’s three existing trailers in service. Operated by long-standing distribution partner Reynolds Logistics, they will be re-branded in Gasrec livery and used to replenish refuelling stations across the UK. Two further tankers are currently in build for Gasrec and due for delivery later this year – with more planned to follow early in 2022.
Gasrec is committed to its strategy of operating both large open-access refuelling sites and private facilities for customers, and is currently working closely with end-user fleets and developers of new logistics parks to ensure dedicated infrastructure is made available to meet the growing industry demand.
“The additional refuelling facilities are the perfect size for helping operators begin the transition to Bio-LNG, ahead of more permanent infrastructure being built. Not all of them had been deployed, so they give us immediate capacity to help new fleets – plus we are talking to several existing facility users about taking over their future Bio-LNG supply,” adds Westcott.
Gasrec providies both Bio-CNG (compressed natural gas) and Bio-LNG, with the latter seeing the largest growth – due largely to its suitability for long-haul work and the size of the 6×2 tractor unit market.
Sales of Bio-LNG from Gasrec’s largest site, located close to the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT), grew by more than 250 per cent in the last 12 months alone.
