Houston, 27 March (Argus) — Volvo Trucks and Shell will cooperate globally to increase the use of LNG as a fuel for commercial heavy-duty trucks.
The companies started their collaboration with a first stage focused on selected markets in central Europe and the US.
Volvo's FM MethaneDiesel engine, which uses LNG as its main fuel, is available in Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK. It is being rolled out in Italy and France.
Shell is a leading LNG producer and marketer globally.
The agreement is non-exclusive for both companies, and ongoing or future cooperation and talks with other companies will not be impacted.
Volvo's engine uses diesel to ignite LNG, and can run on as much as 75pc LNG, depending on the type of transport and driving cycle. Its driving range is about 1,000km, or 621 miles, on natural gas.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is more widely used in buses and smaller commercial vehicles, but long-haul vehicles would need to run on LNG because it has a smaller volume than CNG. Volvo uses a pressurized tank to store the LNG at temperatures between -130°C and -140°C.
Volvo's engine power output is 460 horsepower, and it is used in vehicles with a gross weight of 40-60t. Euro 3 and Euro 5 engines could also run on diesel only.
Natural gas is a cleaner-burning fuel than diesel, and is typically less expensive, according to Volvo.
“We see considerable potential for our gas truck and will continue the roll-out in more markets along with the development of our production capacity and gas infrastructure,” Volvo Trucks spokesman Lennart Pilskog said. “Using liquefied natural gas in a diesel engine is very energy-efficient. It is a new fuel option that could dominate for heavy duty vehicles for the foreseeable future.”
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