Volvo Trucks initiates field testing of liquid gas

 

Volvo Trucks initiates field testing of liquid gas

 

Today, Volvo Trucks will initiate public field testing with methane
diesel trucks that can run on liquefied methane gas. At the same time,
Sweden's first filling station for liquefied methane gas will open at
Stigs Center in Göteborg.

This is a revolutionary step in the development of gas use in heavy
vehicles, since trucks running on liquid gas combined with methane
diesel technology has up to four times longer driving range compared to
most traditional gas trucks.

“Increased use of gas is a bridge towards climate-neutral transports,”
comments Lars Mårtensson, Environmental Director at Volvo Trucks.
“Biogas production is already taking off in many countries. We're
currently in a transition period, moving from decades of dependence on
oil to a society built on renewable fuels. When trucks can operate on 80
percent pure biogas and 20 percent pure biodiesel, carbon emissions will
be 80 percent lower than with conventional diesel technology.”

Three Volvo FM trucks with 13-litre engines are currently being field
tested. The technology is based on Volvo's proven Euro 5 diesel engine,
which has been converted for gas operation.

“We've chosen a route whereby we combine the diesel engine's superior
efficiency rating with the benefits of gas, resulting in a truck that is
significantly more energy-efficient than traditional gas trucks,”
explains Mats Franzén, Manager of Engine Strategy and Planning at Volvo
Trucks.

The field test trucks are equipped with special tanks for liquefied
methane gas. Liquid gas is the optimum fuel for methane diesel
technology. When liquid methane and diesel are used in a ratio of 75-25,
a truck performing long haul or intercity duties has an operating range
500 to 1000 km, depending on driving conditions. This is twice the
operating range of methane diesel vehicles running on compressed gas and
four times that of gas trucks with Otto engines.

“Until the infrastructure for liquid methane gas has been fully
expanded, it is also a great advantage for trucks powered by methane
diesel engines to be able to run on diesel alone,” Franzén points out.

The field test vehicles are being operated by transport companies DHL,
Götene Kyltransporter and Renova. The start of the field tests coincides
with the inauguration of Sweden's first public filling station for
liquefied methane gas at Stigs Center in Göteborg. The station is a
collaborative project between Volvo Trucks, Fordonsgas Sverige and
Göteborg Energi.

“In order for our methane diesel gas technology to have a wide impact,
the distribution network for methane gas needs to be developed. The new
filling station is an important step in that direction,” says
Mårtensson.

Filling stations have previously only existed for CNG (compressed
natural gas). If methane gas is cooled down to minus 160 °C instead of
being compressed, it becomes liquid and its volume is reduced by half.
In this case, it is called LNG (liquefied natural gas), or LBG
(liquefied biogas) if it is a biogas. Both these gases are also called
LMG (liquefied methane gas).

“Volvo's focus on liquid gas opens up a whole new market for us,” says
Bo Ramberg, CEO, Fordonsgas Sverige AB. “Now it will also be very
attractive for heavy vehicles to run on gas, and we expect that market
to grow rapidly. To encourage this trend, we want to show that the
infrastructure is being developed accordingly.”

Three filling stations for liquefied methane gas have been planned in
Sweden to date. Besides the completed one in Göteborg, Aga will open a
filling station in Stockholm, and Eon will open one in Malmö. Volvo
Trucks is a partner in all the projects. There are plans to build
additional stations if demand increases.

October 20, 2010

For further information, please contact:

Lennart Pilskog, Corporate Communications, tel +46 66492, e-mail
lennart.pilskog@volvo.com (lennart.pilskog@volvo.com)

 

Visit
http://www.thenewsmarket.com/volvogroup (http://www.thenewsmarket.com/vo
lvogroup) to access broadcast-standard video about the Volvo Group's
various production plants and products. You can download graphic images
in the form of MPEG2 files or order them on Beta SP tape. Registration
and video are free to the media.

Images are available in the Volvo Trucks image bank
http://imagegallery.vtc.volvo.se/ (http://imagegallery.vtc.volvo.se/).