Shell’s First European LNG Filling Station Opened in Netherlands
Energy giant Shell has opened it’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) filling station for trucks in Europe, in Waalhaven, a harbour sector of Rotterdam. The station is located near the A15, which is a major route for lorries to Belgium, France and the German Ruhr area. The new station has a capacity of 70 000 liters of LNG, and may provide some 170 trucks of liquefied natural gas on a daily basis.
Road transport companies are increasingly choosing LNG fuel instead of the usual diesel fuel, because it can be competitive for trucks, Shell says. The fuel is cleaner than diesel regarding the emission of particulates, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and it could reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The transport companies SUEZ Environnement NL (formerly SITA NL), Vos Logistics and ABS Trucking among the first customers of the station.
“It’s great to see customers now fill their trucks with LNG at the Shell gas station,” says Giorgio Delpiano, General Manager Commercial Fleet. “We are proud to take the lead in the development of safe and cost efficient LNG fuel technology.”
Shell intends to open more LNG filling stations in the Netherlands when demand increases. LNG for the gas station is supplied via a special tanker loading facility, which is part of the breakbulk terminal at GATE (Gas Access To Europe) on the Maasvlakte.
LNG fuel may be an interesting option for transportation, “says Lauran Wetemans, General Manager Downstream LNG. “We expect LNG is going to get a larger share in the future fuel mix, and we continue to work with engine manufacturers, customers and policy makers to promote the use of LNG as a transport fuel.”
Shell will be the launching customer and first user of the new build Gate breakbulk installation (Gas Access to Europe, a joint venture of Gasunie, Vopak and OMV) on the Maasvlakte. The plant, which will be operational in 2016, makes it possible to load smaller volumes of LNG onboard include bunkering vessels for use as a transportation fuel in the shipping sector.
https://www.ngvglobal.com/shells-first-european-lng-filling-station-opened-in-netherlands-0320
