Shell Launches First LNG Truck Station

Shell launched its first Liquefied Natural Gas truck refuelling station in Europe, saying that the fuel is cost competitive for heavy-duty truck.  

“LNG can be a strong option for fleet owners.  We expect LNG will form a bigger part of the sustainable transport fuel mix in the future and we continue to collaborate with engine manufacturers, customers and policy makers to encourage the use of LNG as a transport fuel” Lauran Wetemans, General Manager Downstream LNG, commented in a note released on Wednesday.

Amid interest for new services offered by the LNG terminal operators, Shell’s launch hints at a growing role of LNG for transportation. The truck refuelling station, located in Rotterdam Waalhaven, is meant to tap opportunities in North-West Europe.  

‘The station is located near to a busy truck route, which runs through the Netherlands to Belgium, France, and the Ruhr Area of Germany’ the company wrote, explaining that LNG is cleaner than diesel in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. 

Also on Wednesday, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) announced that all LNG terminal operators in EU accepted to participate to a LNG New Services Inventory launched in February.

‘The number of reloading, the transfer of LNG from the LNG reservoirs of the terminal into a vessel, quadrupled in the past 4 years. In 2014, with almost 14 million m3 LNG, the quantity reloaded was even six times higher compared to 2011’ the association of European natural gas infrastructure operators wrote on its website.