Frozen food distribution business Reed Boardall says the environmental benefits of running its truck fleet on Bio-LNG (liquified natural gas) was the key driver in opening its first refuelling station.

Owned and operated by Gasrec, the fully scalable, skid-mounted station has been designed by LIQAL and installed at the firm’s Boroughbridge headquarters to fuel an initial fleet of 30 Volvo FH LNG 6×2 tractor units.

The opening of the site is a major step in Reed Boardall’s strategy to transition its 220-strong fleet away from diesel.

Graeme Richardson, managing director of Reed Boardall Transport, said: “The government has set very stringent targets to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 and we are determined to play our part and meet those goals.

“We pride ourselves on being a forward-thinking, sustainable operation. Volvo’s LNG trucks are proven to vastly reduce CO2 emissions and we have been very impressed with the performance and reliability since first putting the trucks on the road in March 2020. Opening this site reaffirms our commitment to moving the fleet towards a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly fuel.”

Bio-LNG-powered trucks can return CO2 savings as high as 95%, plus a 99% reduction in particulate matter and 90% in NO2 emissions compared to equivalent Euro VI diesel trucks. HGVs running on gas are also around 50% quieter than their diesel equivalents.

Reed Boardall’s LNG fleet predominantly works on fixed routes, delivering frozen foods to regional distribution centres. The FH LNGs offer a range of 470-480 miles per tank, comfortably enough for return journeys around north and central England without needing to stop and refuel.

The next step is for a further station to be installed in Scotland later in the year to support a planned order for a further 40 new Volvo FH LNG tractor units.

“We’re working closely with the team at Gasrec and that collaborative approach will help us to greatly expand our LNG fleet over the next couple of years as the infrastructure allows. The trucks are working extremely well for us and we anticipate that by this summer we will have roughly a third of our fleet running on gas,” added Richardson.

The new station at Boroughbridge – located just off the A1 and available to third parties by arrangement – was designed by Dutch LNG expert LIQAL. The prefabricated system requires limited construction time on site and supplies the same fuelling consistency and reliability as a fully-fledged LNG fuelling station.