An Italian pioneer
Biological LNG is the environment-friendly continuation of LNG, so to speak, and can compete with diesel fuel. The Codognotto Group and San Marco Petroli Distribuzione are planning to start operations of the first biological LNG station in Italy this year.
Ever more transport firm are testing alternative fuels or engine technologies. Most of the options include some advantages – and other disadvantages. The perfect alternative doesn’t exist yet.
Now Italy’s Codognotto logistics group and the oil company San Marco Petroli Distribuzione are set to collaborate on biological LNG. The basis of biological LNG is methane; it is produced from the decomposition of organic matter in a biogas plant and subsequently liquefied. It has the same characteristics as LNG produced from natural gas, but isn’t a fossil fuel.
As dense as diesel
Conventional liquefied natural gas (LNG ) emits much less NOx and NO2 than diesel, but its CO2 emissions are only 10% less. The percentage of NOx and NO2 emission in the use of Bio-LNG is also much lower than with diesel, but the former’s CO2 emissions are 80% lower than the latter’s.
Even though biogas can be used as a source of energy and there are approximately 100 re-fuelling stations all across Europe, it has one significant disadvantage vis-à-vis biological LNG. Thanks to the latter’s liquefaction it can be almost as dense as diesel, which significantly increases its reach. A lorry powered by biogas can travel approximately 400 km, whilst one fuelled by biological LNG notches up 1,500 km. For heavy goods vehicles in particular this is a decisive factor.
Codognotto’s ongoing commitment
France and Finland already have biological LNG stations; now the Codognotto Group and San Marco Petroli are establishing a biological LNG re-fuelling station in Italy too. It is expected to become operational in September.
For Codognotto Group CEO Maurizio Codognotto the move represents the logical continuation of his enterprise’s ongoing commitment to the protection of the environment. “We started testing alternative fuels in 2014 and will already have around 100 LNG trucks in our fleet by the end of this year. Biological LNG is a direct consequence of such investment to enable the transition from fossil fuels to renewable resources.”
Maurizio Codognotto added that the partnership’s efforts are in accordance with the goals of the EU concerning climate change. The latter is holding road haulage to account particularly strongly.
