Cosmetics company Natura's decision to use biomethane to fuel some of its heavy vehicles in Brazil is just the latest example of the fuels' expanding use.
Natura will acquire 20 heavy trucks that run on biomethane, essentially replacing 35pc of its conventionally-fueled heavy freight hauling capacity and reducing its cargo emissions by 82pc in the long term. The trucks are expected to use 24,400 m³/month of biomethane.
The move is a partnership with logistics company Reiter Log, which owns the fleet and will be responsible for the logistics of acquiring the biomethane and fueling the trucks through its own station, said chief executive Vinicius Pilz.
Expanding the use of biomethane as a transportation fuel is challenging because of higher costs for the trucks that run on it, more costly fueling infrastructure and higher costs for the fuel itself compared to diesel. Only Scania and Iveco sell compressed natural gas motors suitable for biomethane, but engine makers Cummings and MWM plan on using motors that would only need a retrofit.
"There is supply [for the technology], but operating and making the project economically viable is hard," Pilz said.
Tax credits for biomethane producers and subsidies for the construction and operation of biomethane plants are among the measures Brazil could adopt to help develop the market, said Natura's logistics director Eduardo Sa.
Natural gas distributors are also planning to invest in "sustainable corridors" between certain cities that would provide reliable supply by installing compressed natural gas stations that use both natural gas and biomethane, depending on the goal of the route. Reiter Log has the largest biomethane-fueled truck fleet in the country, with 125 vehicles, but is only able to access four sustainable corridors, mostly in the south and southeast: Sao Paulo–Tamboara, Tamboara–Curitiba, Narandiba–Santos port and Rio Grande do Sul–Rio de Janeiro.
Biomethane has a "natural role" in the sector but high prices continue to spur consumer resistance, according to a logistics sector source. "The market is not mature enough for biomethane to take off from fossil alternatives," he said. "This is not a regulated market and it is not willing to pay the premium."
