Leading domestic and commercial LPG provider, Flogas Britain, has 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 them cut carbon emissions by more than 80%* whilst significantly reducing costs.
Supplied by David Beecroft, Regional Key Account Sales Manager at Volvo Truck and Bus Centre East Anglia Ltd., the two BIO-LNG powered Volvo FM tractor units were specified with 4.1m wheelbases and Volvo factory fitted Lite pusher axles. Alcoa alloy wheels also add to the trucks’ payload capacities. Flogas also opted for Globetrotter Cabs with Driving and One Bed Resting Packages for the group, which are all fitted with full ADR equipment.
The two FMs are powered by Volvo’s G13C460 LNG engines, which develop 460hp at 1,700 to 1,800rpm, in addition to a peak torque figure of 2,300Nm delivered from 1,100 to 1,300rpm. The LNG engines also provide secondary vehicle retardation systems in the shape of their VEB (Volvo Engine Brake) and exhaust pressure governors. I-Shift 12-speed automated transmission systems and single reduction drive axles with a ratio of 2.64:1 round off the powertrain assemblies.
The new Volvo FM tractor units will be used for logistical operations transporting bulk LPG and LNG nationwide. They will join Flogas’s delivery network, which also includes a number of dual fuel and electric hybrid-powered vehicles, as part of long-term plans to grow its 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,” says Flogas’s newly-appointed National Account Manager for Alternative Transport Fuels, James Goodson. “They will each be powered by approximately 30T 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; they’ll release significantly fewer pollutants and fuel costs will be far lower.”
Flogas opted for the Bio-LNG Volvo trucks following in-depth trials using a variety of different manufacturers, with a number of 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,” says Flogas’s Head of Logistics, Tim Eaton. “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.”
* Compared to conventional diesel engines (source NGVA)
