BioCNG for Heavy Goods Vehicles

Flogas Enterprise and Circle K have joined forces to offer carbon neutral fuel called BioCNG at its public stations for the first time in Ireland to businesses using heavy goods vehicles. The first fuelling stations to offer this renewable fuel are in Limerick, Cashel, Clonshaugh and Dublin Port. The move is another step forward in reducing emissions from Ireland’s transport industry – one of the most difficult industries to decarbonise.

It comes after Flogas Enterprise signed a contract with Circle K to supply biomethane which can be compressed into a renewable fuel known as BioCNG at its fuelling stations across Ireland. BioCNG is currently available in Ballysimon Road, Limerick, Cashel Co. Tipperary, and Clonshaugh and Dublin Port in county Dublin.

Decarbonising Ireland’s transport industry

The move is another step forward in reducing emissions from Ireland’s transport industry – one of the most difficult industries to decarbonise.

“Ireland’s commercial transport fleet makes up just 3% of vehicles on the road nationwide yet is responsible for approximately a fifth of transport’s carbon emissions.  Heavy Goods Vehicles or HGVs operating on 100% BioCNG can achieve significantly less carbon emissions,” said Barry Murphy, Commercial Director of Flogas Enterprise.

“At Flogas Enterprise, we are fully committed to supporting large enterprises, on their journey to sustainability. Our contract with Circle K comes at a time where we are observing an ever-increasing number of commercial fleets converting to CNG and BioCNG on a global scale. While electricity is a proven alternate fuel for cars, electric solutions are currently not a viable option in heavy goods vehicles, however CNG and BioCNG are, and are now being used by businesses throughout Europe. We are excited to work with Circle K to support the decarbonisation of the transport network in Ireland, by offering this carbon neutral fuel to fleet operators in Ireland,” he added.

“We estimate that since BioCNG has been available at the four Circle K outlets, almost 4,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, have been saved, that’s equivalent to over 40,000 carbon neutral kilometres,” said Brian Connolly, Senior Fuels Manager, Circle K Ireland.

 “Working with Flogas Enterprise, we began making a low carbon fuel alternative for commercial vehicles available with the introduction of compressed natural gas (CNG) in 2022. While CNG can reduce a HGV’s emissions by up to 22%, BioCNG can reduce a HGV’s emissions by almost 100%,” he added.  

Circle K is the first public company to offer biomethane/BioCNG to the public at their stations. The biomethane is sourced at Green Gas Generation’s Anaerobic Digestion plant in Nurney, Co Kildare.

Flogas Enterprise (part of DCC plc) was the first supplier in Ireland to supply biomethane through the gas network to companies like Tesco and Diageo and are now delighted to bring this renewable biomethane (BioCNG) to the transport sector in Ireland.

What is BioCNG (Bio Compressed Natural Gas)?

Structurally identical to natural gas, biomethane is a carbon neutral renewable gas that can be made from farm and food waste through a process known as anaerobic digestion. An anaerobic digestion machine converts agricultural waste into energy, helping reduce carbon emissions from agricultural waste. Farmers, for example, take manure from the farm, and put it into the machine’s tank; micro-organisms digest it and produce biogas which is used to generate electricity and heat. The resulting purified methane is then compressed and used as a transportation fuel. This is known as BioCNG.

BioCNG is almost an 100% clean fuel made from waste and is, therefore, a sustainable alternative for fossil natural gas. Driving on BioCNG is not only beneficial for reducing CO2 emissions, but it can also save you on your fuel costs. CNG stands for Compressed Natural Gas, it is a natural gas compressed down to less than 1% of its volume.

Ireland’s 2022 Climate Action Plan has a target of 5.7TWh/yr of biomethane on the national gas network by 2030 which equates to approximately 10% of demand.

Find out more about Flogas Enterprise BioCNG for Heavy Goods Vehicles here.

This story was also covered by RTE, and Checkout Magazine:

BioCNG fuel now available to Heavy Goods Vehicle users, RTE

Circle K Installs Carbon Neutral Fuel Across Select Forecourts, Checkout Magazine

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Energy efficiency projects should always be your first step in reducing energy costs. Understanding how and when you use energy is a key element to ensuring that you can implement savings.  By investing in more energy-efficient work practices and minimising wastage, businesses can significantly reduce both energy costs and their overall carbon footprint.

It is crucial to have a well-rounded approach to energy efficiency that includes the involvement of an impartial member on the energy team. This impartial member plays a pivotal role in keeping everyone focused and accountable, ensuring that actual delivered savings are accurately quantified, and guaranteeing the successful execution of energy reduction projects. Our energy experts enable you to gain a comprehensive 360-degree view of your energy usage. We achieve this by identifying and evaluating various energy efficiency opportunities specific to your business. By doing so, we bring to light beneficial projects that may have otherwise gone unnoticed, helping you unlock significant energy savings. Additionally, we provide on-site energy resources that are tailor-made to assist your business in achieving its energy management goals.

Flogas Enterprise offers a diverse range of products and services, including Natural Gas, Biomethane Gas, 100% Renewable Electricity, Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (with renewable projects located in Ireland), Solar PV and Energy Management Services. Our energy experts possess extensive knowledge and experience to support you in conceiving, developing, and delivering on a comprehensive renewable energy efficiency strategy.

If you would like to explore how our energy efficiency services and renewable solutions can benefit your business, please do not hesitate to contact our team on enterprise@flogas.ie.  We are here to assist you in optimising your energy consumption and contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.

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Reducing commercial emissions with Bio CNG

Transport accounts for 1/5 of the global carbon dioxide emissions emitted with 75% of this coming from road vehicles. So, reducing the carbon emissions of the transport sector has been labelled as a major steppingstone to reducing overall emissions production. (source: https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions-from-transport).

HGVs produce 20% of Ireland’s vehicle emissions

Of all the vehicles on the road in Ireland, 3% of these vehicles produce 20% of the emissions. These are the Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) and bus fleets. This represents a huge opportunity for Ireland to make a difference in reducing our Co2 emissions over the coming years.  Even by achieving a 25% conversion rate from diesel to Bio CNG, there is potential to eliminate 676,000 tonnes of CO2 using renewable gas which is the equivalent to removing 360,000 diesel cars.

Alternative solutions for HGV fuels in Ireland

Renewable biomethane production is increasing in Ireland and will grow over the coming years. Getting access to this biomethane will be of huge significance to making an environmental impact on our transport emissions. Biomethane will be a key source for Bio CNG in the coming year, as using renewable biomethane will have a massive impact on emission targets for the transport and other sectors.

As a roadmap for the transport sector, it is possible that hydrogen may become the primary fuel for transportation at some point in the future.

Bio CNG is filling the gap

Ensuring strong use and uptake of Bio CNG for transportation in Ireland now helps create a bridge to a hydrogen future.  Bio CNG is a first step and a roadmap to this scenario.

Flogas Enterprise supplies 100% renewable energy and works with various stakeholders to ensure a clean energy future for Ireland working with our customers in Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK with a renewable energy strategy that suits their business needs.

Find out more about our Compressed Natural Gas and Bio CNG solution here.

Contact the team and learn how we can help you meet your energy needs: info@flogasenterprise.ie; + 353 1 884 9400.

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Biomethane, a renewable form of gas, is generated from the breaking down of organic matter such as food waste, animal slurry and energy crops. The fuel has significant potential to transform business and transport over the coming years. Renewable gas is a direct replacement for natural gas, used seamlessly in the same heating systems and appliances.

Flogas Enterprise, which is supplying the biomethane to companies including Diageo and Tesco Ireland, said that the introduction of biomethane into the Irish gas network represents an unprecedented opportunity for businesses in Ireland.

“Flogas Enterprise has seen a huge growth in demand from businesses looking to transition away from fossil fuels. Many large natural gas users now want to procure biomethane in the same manner as they buy green electricity because they recognise the importance of sustainability and moving towards carbon neutrality for their business,’’ says Flogas CEO Liam Faulkner.

“The injection of biomethane into the Irish grid for the first time represents an important step towards decarbonising Ireland’s energy use. In the future this can materially reduce the carbon footprint associated with how we heat our homes, fuel our manufacturing and especially how we power our heavy transport fleet,’’ he concluded.

The recently launched injection point at Cush, Co. Kildare will initially supply 36,000 MWh of biomethane entering the Irish gas network, enough to reduce Ireland’s carbon emissions by 7,200 t CO₂ per annum.  This is in addition to very substantial upstream emissions reduction on farm of up to 64.800 t CO₂ per annum.

Gas Networks Ireland Managing Director, Denis O’Sullivan, welcomed Flogas as the first shipper of biomethane in Ireland.

“Flogas is leading the way as the first company to offer renewable gas to businesses in Ireland via the gas network,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“Ireland has significant untapped renewable gas potential. The network entry point in Cush, Co. Kildare represents the first step to unlocking this potential and progressing our ambition to have a carbon neutral gas network by 2050.

“Transitioning from natural gas to renewable gas is seamless and one of the ways Gas Networks Ireland and partners like Flogas can reduce Ireland’s total CO2 emissions across key sectors including electricity, industry, heat, transport and agriculture.”

Natural gas is connected to over 700,000 homes and businesses in Ireland. It represents 30% of the country’s primary energy mix and powers approximately 50% of Ireland’s electricity generation.

According to a 2016 report published by the European Commission, Ireland has the highest potential for renewable gas production per capita in Europe. This is due in part to Ireland’s large agricultural sector. It is hoped that renewable gas could help to reduce emissions from agriculture, transport and energy, the largest contributors to Ireland’s carbon footprint.

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Business energy supplier Flogas is leading the charge to help business move to renewable energy in Ireland. It has been confirmed as supplying 100% renewable electricity to its customers, according to the Commission for Regulations of Utilities (CRU). Flogas’s leading edge Pathway to Greenness initiative helps businesses create and execute a plan to become more sustainable in line with internationally recognised best-practice protocols. Procuring 100% Green electricity from Flogas is only the first step of this approach.

The CRU today (25 September) issued its annual Fuel Mix Disclosure Report for 2019. The report confirms that Flogas continues to provide its customers with 100% renewable electricity.

’’We are proud that Flogas is providing 100% renewable electricity to our customers right across Ireland, a fact independently certified by the CRU’’ said Ross McConnell, Head of Renewables at Flogas Enterprise.

‘’Flogas was the first supplier in Ireland to achieve a 100% green electricity rating for our customers back in 2013. Our customers know the value we place on sustainability and transparency as two key pillars of our business. We source our renewable green electricity by purchasing it from renewable generators, across a range of technologies on the island of Ireland. Not only are we helping customers to reduce their own carbon footprint, but this also means we are helping Ireland to meet its climate action targets.’’

Our long-term commitment to making Ireland a cleaner, greener place and to helping businesses to navigate their own sustainable energy journey is why Flogas has become a leading and trusted supplier of renewable energy to Irish businesses. Ultimately, we help our customers to reduce, go green, and save on their energy needs.’’

The Fuel Mix Report for 2019 shows that renewables accounted for 54% of Ireland’s fuel mix in 2019, compared to 49% the year prior and up significantly on the 14% recorded a decade ago in 2009.

In addition to its certification as a supplier of 100% green electricity to businesses in Ireland, Flogas was also the first company to provide ‘green gas’ (or biomethane) in Ireland to its customer Tesco.

Biomethane is a low-carbon alternative to traditional fossil fuels which the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have said ‘’could contribute to future renewable energy production in Ireland and help to achieve the challenging carbon reductions in the energy sector the Ireland aspires to.’’

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