Pall-Ex pallet delivery network took on its first liquefied natural gas-fueled truck on trial.
The Volvo FM LNG tractor unit combines LNG with a diesel engine in order to lower emissions, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said in its statement.
The unit emits 20 percent less CO₂ than its diesel counterpart and if rolled out across its whole fleet would help Pall-Ex reach the Department for Transport’s Road to Zero target to reduce HGV emissions by 15 percent against 2015 levels by 2025.
The pallet network has already upgraded its fleet of forklift trucks with a £250,000 ($308,000) investment in 45 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles to improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.
Head of operations at Pall-Ex, Paul Pegg , said, “We are learning and gaining as much as possible from the trial.” He added that the company is set to meet its vehicle supplier MRS and Volvo to discuss future opportunities.
As a result of the trial, the Pall-Ex operation team is looking to run a new test with an LNG-fueled model from Scania that does not use a diesel engine at all and is purely running on liquefied natural gas.