Tarmac has trialled the use of biomethane fuel in a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) as part of the company’s ongoing drive to reach net zero.
The three week-long trial of a 44-tonne HGV with cement tanker was carried out in June and July in partnership with CNG Fuels, a supplier of renewable and sustainable biomethane fuel for commercial vehicles in the UK.
Biomethane is a renewable fuel produced from sustainable feedstocks, recovering waste generated from other industries, delivering a net reduction of up to 90% in CO₂ emissions.
Tarmac’s Tunstead site was chosen as the location for the trial due to the undulating landscape of the Peak District. This tested the HGV’s ability to navigate steep, uneven terrain. Tarmac will look at the full results of the trial to assess the potential for biomethane fuel to be used as an alternative to diesel in other HGVs. Tarmac previously trialled the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel in its bulk cement tankers driving out of Northfleet.
Ben Garner, senior manager of logistics development at Tarmac, said: “This trial of biomethane fuel in an HGV represents another important step in our transition to net zero logistics.
“Tarmac is dedicated to innovating through trialling low carbon transport and logistics solutions. While the end goal is to electrify our fleet or to use low carbon fuels like hydrogen, we need to look at sustainable alternative fuels that we can start using sooner. Partnering with CNG Fuels on this trial demonstrates what we can achieve by working with the logistics sector to reach net zero emissions.”
Image courtesy of Tarmac
