Compressed natural gas station opened in Ireland

A CNG compressor and private refuelling station have been installed at Clean Ireland Recycling’s Shannon operation, and the company, a leader in environmentally-friendly waste management services since its establishment in the early 1990s, has also received delivery of dedicated CNG waste collection vehicles, the first of their kind in Ireland. The specially-commissioned, lower-emission Scania CNG trucks will replace some of Clean Ireland Recycling’s diesel-powered fleet, with the rest of the fleet also transitioning to CNG in the coming years.

CNG is natural gas that has been compressed to fit into a vehicle’s tank and is particularly suitable for use in commercial vehicles. A proven alternative to diesel or petrol, CNG provides the greatest cost saving (35%) and emission reduction benefits (up to 22% less carbon dioxide, 70% less nitrogen oxide, 80% less sulphur dioxide, and 99% less particulate matter) for transport operators. CNG is an established technology throughout the world, with 25 million NGVs in operation globally with 1.9 million of these vehicles in Europe.

Denis Naughten T.D., Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, said: “Transport is a critical part of our economy. It is also a significant driver of Ireland’s emissions profile. Currently, commercial and public transport vehicles using diesel account for 3% of the vehicles on Irish roads, but account for over 20% of the total road transport emissions. Businesses like Clean Ireland Recycling show that there is an appetite to change to the cleaner and more cost-effective alternative offered by Compressed Natural Gas. This is a welcome step and marks a progressive development for Ireland’s commercial fleet sector. This announcement is the first of many in the coming months from Gas Networks Ireland, as they introduce CNG, and ultimately Renewable Gas, as a new transport fuel in Ireland. I would like to congratulate Clean Ireland Recycling and Gas Networks Ireland for their innovation in and dedication to building a cleaner Ireland.”

Denis O’Sullivan, managing director of Gas Networks Ireland, commented: “We are delighted to open the first private fast-fill CNG station here today at Clean Ireland Recycling. Waste collection vehicles are notoriously energy intensive and Clean Ireland Recycling are proving their innovation and sustainability credentials by adopting CNG technology, and deploying the first CNG waste collection vehicles in Ireland.

“CNG, and in the near future renewable gas, will play a major role in making transport in Ireland cleaner. Gas Networks Ireland is determined to play our role in facilitating the development of a new, cleaner transport network for Ireland.”

Brian Lyons, director at Clean Ireland Recycling, added: “Lowering our carbon footprint is a priority for our business and for our customers. From the moment we started operations in the early 1990s, we have been a pace setter in our industry nationally in terms of introducing environmentally-friendly solutions, some of them ground-breaking. The development of the CNG facility at our site in Shannon is a perfect example. Transitioning our waste collection fleet to CNG will achieve a reduction of up to 22% in CO2 emissions and a 99% reduction in particular matter. Not only does this make sense environmentally, CNG can achieve fuel cost savings of up to 35%, so the decision to adopt the technology is the smart choice.”

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