A company based in Cavan has become the first haulier in the country to complete a zero carbon Heavy Goods Vehicle delivery to Europe.

Virginia International Logistics carried processed beef from Liffey Meats in Ballyjamesduff to Caen in France in trucks fuelled by compressed renewable gas also known as Bio Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).

This carbon-free solution is a clear, odourless, non-corrosive gas that can be used as a cheaper, cleaner and more efficient alternative to the traditional fuels used in vehicles. The gas is compressed so sufficient fuel can be stored within the vehicle to extend the driving range. 

Barry Murphy, Commercial Director for Naturgy, which supplied the renewable gas for the journey, said: "Approximately 20% of Ireland's total CO2 emissions comes from transport – be it cars, vans, buses or heavy goods vehicles. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is a great solution to reducing CO2 emissions. If even a quarter of all buses and heavy goods vehicles on Irish roads switched from diesel to CNG, there is potential to eliminate 676,000 tonnes of CO2 using renewable gas. This is the equivalent to removing 360,000 diesel cars from our roads.

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"CNG is the future. Most European cities have implemented CNG buses. Germany alone has 850 public CNG fuelling stations and Naturgy has been supplying this fuel to commercial fleets in Spain for over a decade. Companies in Ireland are just beginning to buy into the benefits of this new technology – with companies like Virginia International Logistics, leading the way. Naturgy became the first energy provider to supply CNG to an Irish company five years ago. There's a huge opportunity for the Irish Government to look at how we can use our own indigenous gas to make a major impact on reducing our carbon emissions. But the roll out of a network of public CNG fuelling stations will be key, to meeting the demand for transport companies," he added.

The government's Climate Action Plan commits to setting of a target by the end of this year for renewable gas on the network by 2030. As part of this plan CNG stations will be developed across Ireland. The first public CNG fuelling station in Circle K Dublin Port opened earlier this year.

(CM/MH)