New biomethane refuelling station to open in Normanton as demand for renewable fuel takes off

CNG Fuels, Europe’s leading supplier of renewable biomethane for transport, announced on Wednesday that it will open its tenth low-carbon HGV refuelling station on Normanton Industrial Estate.

Demand for the fuel is taking off, with the number of bio-CNG powered trucks on the road doubling in the last year alone. The station can refuel 500 HGVs per day, cutting up to 67,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually – the equivalent to the annual emissions of over 40,000 cars.

The new station means that CNG Fuels can now fill up 5,000 HGVs across the UK daily, saving up to 1,600 tonnes of CO2 every day, or 584,000 tonnes of CO2 annually when compared to diesel – equivalent to powering over 113,000 homes for an entire year.

HGVs account for 4.2% of UK carbon emissions, putting the sector at the core of the UK’s goal of achieving net zero by 2050. Last year, the UK government set out plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel HGV from 2040, heightening the urgency for fleets across the country to find alternative solutions to petrol and diesel HGVs.

Renewable biomethane – derived from food waste and manure by CNG Fuels – is the lowest carbon, most cost-effective alternative fuel to diesel available to HGVs today, cutting emissions by over 90% whilst providing up to a 40% lifetime fuel cost saving.

The new station is the company’s 10th operational site, extending the range of low-carbon deliveries into North East England. Most of the UK is already within a 300-mile round trip of a CNG Fuels renewable biomethane refuelling station and the site will put Leeds, Hull, and Wakefield within its range, serving local and passing fleets using the M1, A1 and M18.

Philip Fjeld, CEO of CNG Fuels, said: “Fleet operators around the world are urgently seeking ways to cut emissions from their fleets. In the UK, fleet operators can do so today by adopting biomethane. Our fast-growing network of refuelling infrastructure has made biomethane more accessible than ever before, and fleets – ranging from local hauliers through to major household brands – are dramatically cutting emissions every day. Our newest station is building on our existing network, enabling low carbon deliveries all the way from Inverness to Cornwall.”

Aldi is the latest major brand to adopt bio-CNG HGVs, joining Royal Mail, Waitrose, and Warburtons.

Liz Fox, National Corporate Responsibility Director, UK at Aldi, said: “Aldi is committed to reducing our carbon footprint, and adopting bio-CNG HGVs is another step forward in our plans to cut emissions from our UK fleets. CNG Fuels’ latest station in Castleford opens the door to major transport networks into the North East, and their growing network will only continue to extend the number of low carbon deliveries that we can make across the country every day.”

Demand for the fuel from fleet operators is growing at around 100% per annum, with around 10% of the UK’s high-mileage HGV fleet expected to run on Bio-CNG by 2025.

The company plans to have 20 large public access stations in operation by the end of 2023.