'Green' refuelling station that can fill up 450 lorries per day opens near Glasgow

Scotland’s first biomethane refuelling station has opened in a bid to slash emissions from heavy goods vehicles.

The new station, located next to the busy transport corridor between Edinburgh and Glasgow, can refuel 450 lorries per day, cutting some 70,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.

CNG Fuels said the opening of the Bellshill site would help meet the growing demand from major UK brands to decarbonise haulage emissions and save money.

Waitrose, Hermes and Warburtons are among the major UK brands to switch from diesel to renewable biomethane to cut haulage emissions.

The biomethane refuelling station has opened at the Eurocentral site off the M8 near Bellshill.

HGVs account for some 16 per cent of UK transport emissions, and almost 5 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland.

Philip Fjeld, chief executive of CNG Fuels, said: “Glasgow and Scotland were at the centre of the world debate on climate change during COP26, injecting urgency into the global push to tackle the climate crisis.

“Our new station, just outside Glasgow, is an example of real-world action on climate, unlocking low carbon deliveries across the busiest transport routes in Scotland and supporting the country to meet its emissions reduction targets.

“Renewable biomethane is the cleanest, most cost-effective solution for HGVs available today. Our growing network of refuelling stations gives fleets across the country the confidence to significantly cut emissions from transport, today.”

The new station, located at the Eurocentral site off the M8 near Bellshill, will support local Scottish fleets as well as brands making low-carbon deliveries from England to Scotland. It is also located close to two HGV dealerships – Scania and Iveco – which are among the major manufactures of biomethane-ready HGVs.

CNG said demand for renewable biomethane has leapt by 1,000 per cent in the last five years amid the drive to achieve net zero targets. It expects this trend to continue, with demand forecast to increase five-fold in the next five years as the UK government’s 2040 ban on the sale of new diesel HGVs, announced last month, closes in.

The Bellshill station is the latest in the company’s UK-wide strategic network of refuelling sites. Seven stations are already operational with plans to open up to 14 more by 2023.

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