LNG refueling infrastructure for trucks keeps growing in Germany
Liqvis GmbH (subsidiary of Uniper) and Echo Tankstellen GmbH (operator of Esso stations) are joining forces to help expand the LNG station network in Germany. Selected sites operated by Echo are under initial consideration for this purpose. Subject to approval by the regulatory authorities, the first joint site set to be realized will be the Esso truck stop in Seligweiler near Ulm, which is operated by Hotel & Rasthaus Seligweiler GmbH & Co KG.
A joint project group will then discuss where to build further LNG stations and assess the feasibility of these sites before applying to the authorities and implementing them. The companies aim to establish LNG on the market as an alternative fuel for heavy goods vehicles and to help develop the associated infrastructure into a closed network.
The Echo network currently comprises around 1,000 filling stations operating under the brand name Esso. Liqvis is expected to have six sites where trucks can refuel with LNG by the end of 2020: Berlin Grünheide (already open), Kassel-Lohfelden, Rosengarten/Hamburg, Langenhagen/Hannover, Bönen, and Calais in northern France. The Seligweiler station that is currently being planned together with Echo will be added in 2021.
“We are delighted to have found a strong partner in Echo Tankstellen GmbH, with whom we can work together to further promote LNG fuel in Germany as a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional diesel and gasoline engines. The Ulm Seligweiler service area is an ideal site because it’s directly on the A9 transit route and is already used extensively by heavy goods vehicles,” said Silvano Calcagno, Managing Director of Liqvis GmbH.
