Scotland’s first biomethane refuelling station opens, in bid to slash emissions from HGVs

Scotland's first renewable biomethane refuelling station for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) is opening near Glasgow this week, in a move that will reduce transport emissions for businesses like Warburton's, Hermes and Waitrose & Partners.


Scotland’s first biomethane refuelling station opens, in bid to slash emissions from HGVs

The facility can serve up to 450 HGVs each day. Image: CNG Fuels/Scania

The refuelling station is based at the Eurocentral Industrial Estate off the M8 near Glasgow, on what has been called the busiest transport route in Scotland, serving both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

It has been developed by CNG Fuels and has the capacity to fully refuel up to 450 HGVs every day. Construction began in March and the firm had pledged to begin operations before the end of 2021.

Biomethane dispensed at the facility will be produced using food waste – a feedstock which CNG Fuels claims results in a reduction in life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional, fossil-based fuels of up to 90%. If uptake for the new facility is as high as expected, it will help mitigate 700,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year, CNG Fuels has calculated.

The firm also claims that using renewable biomethane can help to reduce lifetime vehicle operating costs by 30% to 40%.

Businesses including bread giant Warburtons and logistics major Hermes have already signed on to use the refuelling station, as they have depots in the area that already host biomethane trucks. CNG Fuels has also stated that it will work with two local HGV dealerships providing biomethane-ready models, namely IVECO and Scania, to help broaden uptake.

“Glasgow and Scotland were at the centre of the world debate on climate change during COP26, injecting urgency into the global push to tackle the climate crisis,” said CNG Fuels’ chief executive Philip Field.

“Our new station, just outside Glasgow, is an example of real-world action on climate, unlocking low carbon deliveries across the busiest transport routes in Scotland and supporting the country to meet its emissions reduction targets.”

CNG Fuels already hosts seven other refuelling stations across the UK and is planning to open 14 more by the end of 2023. The company is also planning to trial hydrogen refuelling from next year and to develop 100 acres of land for hydrogen refuelling by 2025.

On a UK-wide basis, transport is the highest-emitting sector, and HGVs account for 16% of the sector’s emissions.  The UK Government’s Transport Decarbonisation Plan, published in July, details measures to end the sale of new petrol and diesel HGVs by 2040 – ten years after the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned.

Consultations will be launched by the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2022 around this timeline, and around the preferred technology mix for decarbonising HGVs. Biomethane, hydrogen and electrification are all likely to play a role.

Sarah George

Comments (1)

  1. David Dundas says:

    The problem with burning any hydrocarbon with air, including biomethane and fuels derived from it, is that this produces nitrogen oxides (NOx) which are harmful to our health and the environment, especially in large conurbations. The long term solution to this problem is to not burn anything in air, instead use fossil-free (green) electricity directly, in batteries for small vehicles, or hydrogen-electric heavy vehicles that use fuel cells to produce the electricity without producing NOx

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