CNG Fuels and National Grid unveil first high-pressure grid connected CNG filling station

• CNG Fuels and National Grid unveil the UK’s first high-pressure grid connected compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station, off junction 28 of the M6, near Leyland, Lancashire
• The John Lewis Partnership is the first major customer to sign up to use the new facility
• 100% renewable CNG, made from organic waste, dispensed from the high-pressure local transmission system has the lowest carbon footprint of any truck fuel

CNG Fuels, in partnership with National Grid, has unveiled a new state-of-the-art filling station in Leyland, Lancashire, allowing vehicles to fill up on compressed natural gas (CNG), directly from the high-pressure local transmission system.

The unveiling saw the first major customer, Waitrose, part of the John Lewis Partnership, fill up at the new facility, as a fleet of branded HGVs rolled onto the forecourt.

The new facility is the first of its kind in the UK and boasts a high-pressure connection, delivered by National Grid. This key piece of transport infrastructure is capable of refuelling more than five hundred HGVs per day.

Located near to junction 28 on the M6, the CNG filling station will be accessible around the clock, 365 days a year. The facility also supplies 100% renewable biomethane (Bio-CNG) and is an important part of the UK’s rapidly growing CNG refuelling infrastructure. The biomethane is made from waste at anaerobic digestion plants and delivered to the filling station through the National Grid pipeline system.

Waitrose has a regional distribution centre less than one mile from the new CNG filling station and will be its anchor customer.

Philip Fjeld, director at CNG Fuels, said: “Even though the price of diesel and petrol has recently plummeted, the wholesale price of natural gas has also dropped, and our customers can still enjoy a pump price of CNG at our Leyland station that is more than 30% cheaper than the equivalent price of one litre of diesel.

“Using natural gas also cuts CO2 emissions by more than 20% and if fleets choose to fuel their trucks with Bio-CNG, they will be running on 100% renewable gas.”

National Grid’s network strategy director, David Parkin, said: “Today’s launch is a proud moment for National Grid and its partners. Located just off junction 28 of the M6, this new facility is ideally located for the transport sector and we expect it to be extremely popular.

“CNG dispensed from a station connected to the local transmission system, is the cheapest fuel available to HGVs, as well as having the lowest well-to-wheel emissions of any fossil-based HGV fuel.

“Whether it’s CNG or Bio-CNG, the benefits for HGVs are clear; lower emissions, quieter engine noise and competitive fuel prices, compared with traditional liquid fuels.”


Justin Laney, central transport general manager for the John Lewis Partnership, added:
“John Lewis Partnership is committed to running a sustainable logistics operation, and the use of low carbon fuels in our vehicle fleet is a key element of that. Our strategy is to displace diesel with bio-methane where practical, and we run one of the largest alternatively fuelled heavy truck fleets in the UK to enable us to do that. This filling station is an important step that will help us continue to improve our fleet sustainability.”

- Ends –

David Lavender
National Grid Media Relations
+44 07989 665946
David.lavender2@nationalgrid.com

Suzanne Orsler
CNG Fuels PR
+44 07813 131350
suzanne@sopr.co

Note to editors:

Supplying Biomethane or Bio-Gas

Using the Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS) each unit of green gas injected into the grid displaces a unit of conventional gas. So the GGCS tracks each unit of green gas from its injection into the distribution grid to its sale. It tracks the contractual rather than physical flows to ensure there is no double-counting from production to end use.

Leyland CNG Filling Station technical details:

The Leyland CNG station will be accessible around the clock every day of the year.

The station will be equipped with:

• 2 compressors with a combined capacity of close to 4,000 kg/hour
• Cascade storage to ensure fast-fill (typically 3-4 minutes for a full CNG fill)
• 2 HGV refuelling lanes with 4 independent fast-fill refuelling dispensers (2 dispensers to be installed initially, with another 2 to be installed as demand increases)
• 2 dedicated fast-fill CNG trailer loading bays
• Unmanned facility, with CCTV monitoring and remote diagnostics

By utilising the LTS natural gas grid the following benefits are achieved:

• CNG dispensed has the lowest carbon footprint of any natural gas fuel in the UK as the higher pressure in the LTS pipeline, compared to pipelines usually used for CNG stations, mean less electricity is used for compression
• Lower OPEX and maintenance costs at the CNG station, compared to CNG stations operating off the lower pressure natural gas grid, means cheaper CNG for customers
• The use of the local transmission system helps to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas.

CNG Fuels Ltd

CNG Fuels Ltd owns and operates the UK’s largest public access CNG filling station, located in Crewe, Cheshire. The Company has opened the UK’s first high pressure (LTS) grid connected CNG station, located in Leyland, Lancashire, which supplies HGV fleets with low cost and low emissions fuel. The Company is dedicated to building a network of CNG refueling infrastructure throughout the UK, and fostering the adoption of CNG into HGV fleets.

For more information, visit www.cngfuels.com

The John Lewis Partnership

The John Lewis Partnership operates 43 John Lewis shops across the UK (31 department stores, 10 John Lewis at home and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2), johnlewis.com, 347 Waitrose shops, waitrose.com and business to business contracts in the UK and abroad. It is the UK's largest example of worker co-ownership where all 93,800 staff are Partners in the business.

Green Gas Certification Scheme

The Green Gas Certification Scheme (GGCS) tracks biomethane, or ‘green gas’, through the supply chain to provide certainty for those that buy it.
Each unit of green gas injected into the grid displaces a unit of conventional gas. So the GGCS tracks each unit of green gas from its injection into the distribution grid, to any trades, to its sale to a consumer, or group of consumers. It tracks the contractual rather than physical flows to ensure there is no double-counting from production to end use.
The GGCS is run by the Renewable Energy Association’s subsidiary, Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd. GGCS participants oversee the way it is run, on a not-for-profit basis.

http://www.greengas.org.uk/

National Grid

National Grid is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world and was named Responsible Business of the Year 2014 by Business in the Community. This accolade acknowledges all of our efforts in getting involve with the things that really matter to us and to society. We own and manage the grids that connect people to the energy they need, from whatever the source. In Britain and the north-eastern states of the US we run systems that deliver gas and electricity to millions of people, businesses and communities.
In Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country. In the North Eastern US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles.

National Grid in the UK:

• We own the high-voltage electricity transmission network in England and Wales, operating it across Great Britain

• We own and operate the high pressure gas transmission system in Britain

• Our gas distribution business delivers gas to 10.9 million homes and businesses

• We also own a number of related businesses including LNG importation, land remediation and metering

• National Grid manages the National Gas Emergency Service free phone line on behalf of the industry - 0800 111 999 (all calls are recorded and may be monitored).

• Our portfolio of other businesses is mainly concerned with infrastructure provision and related services where we can exploit our core skills and assets to create value. These businesses operate in areas such as Metering, Grain LNG Import, Interconnectors and Property. National Grid Carbon Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Grid. It undertakes Carbon Capture Storage related activities on behalf of National Grid.

Find out more about the energy challenge and how National Grid is helping find solutions to some of the challenges we face at www.nationalgridconnecting.com