Ireland's second public Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) re-fuelling station has opened in Cashel.

Gas Networks Ireland unveiled the CNG station at Circle K's forecourt.

Located at Junction 8 off the M8 (Dublin – Cork) motorway, the station has the capacity to fill 50 Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs) a day, with each fill taking no more than five minutes.

The new station allows hauliers and fleet operators in the region to begin the journey to carbon neutral transport by switching their fuel from diesel to CNG and transitioning to networked renewable gas in the future. Renewable gas, also known as biomethane, is the only deployable at scale, ultra-low carbon alternative fuel for use in HGVs.

Jonathan Diver, Senior Director Fuels at Circle K said: "We are delighted to unveil this latest CNG station at Circle K Cashel further strengthening our natural gas capabilities alongside our Dublin Port CNG station. Circle K has longstanding ties to the commercial transport and freight industry and a key priority of ours is supporting this sector as it endeavours to reduce its carbon emissions. We are looking forward to introducing more CNG stations on key transport routes, and, in fact, are well advanced on the development of two such stations, one in Limerick and one on Dublin, with more to come.

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"As a key stakeholder in the fuel and energy sector, we are extremely committed to working towards a low carbon future for Ireland and in addition to advancements from a CNG perspective, we will continue developing our electric vehicle charging capacity as well as looking at ways in which to make our fuel products more environmentally friendly."

The Heavy Duty Vehicle (HDV) category of transport merits particular attention given the potentially high positive environmental impact of HDVs switching from traditional transport fuels to alternative fuels such as CNG and renewable gas. While only 4% of vehicles on Ireland's roads are classified as HGVs and buses, they account for 30% of all emissions in the road transport sector. Ultimately, CNG provides a clear pathway for the use of carbon neutral renewable gas within the transport fuel mix. With Ireland’s first dedicated renewable gas entry point, in Kildare, now injecting biomethane into the network, renewable gas is becoming a real option for Ireland’s fleet managers and hauliers.

Gas Networks Ireland's Head of Commercial and Corporate Affairs, Ian O’Flynn, said: "We're on a journey to decarbonising the transport sector and renewable gas has a critical role to play. CNG stations are directly connected to the national gas network and CNG vehicles are future-proofed for renewable gas. Renewable gas, which is entering the gas network today, enables carbon neutral transport. By delivering a network of CNG filling stations, we are supporting hauliers and fleet operators to make a sustainable switch to a carbon neutral fuel."