Trucks
Trucks
An efficient, renewable fuel made from food scraps and other waste products may sound too good to be true – but that is essentially what liquid biogas, or bio-LNG, is. So, why does it receive so little attention in discussions about potential alternative fuels for trucks?
Which fuels will replace diesel? At Volvo Trucks, we have long believed that there is no silver bullet solution that will enable the whole transport industry to decarbonize. It’s more likely that we will see a range of alternatives being developed, including battery electric, hydrogen fuel cells, and combustion engines powered by renewable fuels such as biodiesel and HVO – and LNG/bio-LNG.
Each fuel has its own strengths and weaknesses, and which fuel suits you best will depend on your circumstances and operating conditions. For some companies, the best solution could well be bio-LNG. As global biomethane production increases and LNG refueling networks expand, bio-LNG is increasingly becoming a viable alternative.
Bio-LNG is made from organic waste material, including household food waste, agricultural and industrial waste, as well as manure, sewage sludge and wastewater. Simply put, the waste material is broken down and purified to create biomethane. This is then cooled down to around -160°C, at which point it condenses and liquifies to create bio-LNG.
Bio-LNG is chemically equivalent to conventional LNG. It delivers the same performance and can be used in the same vehicles and refueling infrastructure. However, because it is made from organic waste rather than fossil natural gas, it is renewable and carbon-neutral as a tank-to-wheel fuel source.
In fact, when the biogas is produced from manure, the production process can even generate negative CO2 emissions of up to 200% (well-to-wheel).* This is because it not only prevents the release of carbon from burning fossil fuels, but also hinders the release of methane into the atmosphere that would ordinarily come from manure storage and processing. In other words, under this scenario, the net emissions from one gas-powered truck could cancel out the emissions from two diesel trucks.
Furthermore, because bio-LNG utilizes waste material, and the left-over digestate can be used as fertilizer, it contributes to a circular economy. It can also be produced locally, further eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from transportation.
Until recently, low production and insufficient refueling networks for gas-powered trucks have limited bio-LNG’s potential. However, that is changing.
The EU aims to increase biomethane production to 35 billion cubic meters (bcm) by 2030 as part of its REPowerEU plan. As of 2023, combined biomethane and biogas production is already up to 22 bcm. (The EU’s total natural gas consumption in 2023 was 295 bcm.) In the US, production of biogas has seen three years of record growth, with bio-LNG production representing over 90% of all new projects in 2023. Meanwhile China aims to produce 20 bcm of biogas by 2030.
Currently, there are 780 LNG refueling stations in Europe today, which are fully compatible with bio-LNG as production increases. China and India are also seeing strong growth in gas-powered trucks as an alternative to diesel, and are expected to see more extensive refueling networks in the coming years.
The number of LNG refueling stations is growing rapidly, especially in Europe, and is set to continue in the coming years.
The advantage of a gas-powered truck is that it can deliver the same range and refueling times as a conventional diesel engine. For example, Volvo Trucks’ range of gas-powered vehicles have the same power and torque as their diesel equivalents, and can reach ranges of up to 1000 km.
When fueled by traditional fossil LNG, the tank-to-wheel CO2 emissions in gas-powered trucks can be around 20% less compared to diesel, and up to 100% less when powered by bio-LNG.
Even with bio-LNG’s limited availability, if you can access any of the growing number of LNG refueling stations on your routes, it should already be possible to make a transition from diesel to gas. This will result in an immediate CO2 reduction in your operations.
In the long term, as bio-LNG becomes more readily available, switching over from traditional LNG will be seamless, since the same vehicles and refueling infrastructure can be used for both. In fact, they can be blended. For example, Shell, who are investing heavily in bio-LNG production, currently offer a bio-LNG blend in the Netherlands and Germany, which enables an average CO2 reduction of around 30%.
Over time, of the portion of bio-LNG in the blend can gradually increase, this will eventually bring tank-to-wheel emissions down towards zero. For some truck operators, this could be the easiest and most efficient path to carbon dioxide-neutral trucking. And for the industry, a potentially significant move forward on the road to more sustainable operations.
Learn more about Volvo Trucks’ gas-powered range. You might also be interested in reading more about:
● What is the best alternative fuel for your truck?
● Different routes to a fossil fuel-free future for trucks
● 8 common questions about biogas and gas-powered trucks
