Overview
The scope on this Action is the development of a European LNG fuelled freight market from the perspective of the so-called ‘Logistics Problem Owners’. These are generally large manufacturing and retailing companies with high cargo volumes have already politically committed themselves to making their logistics operations significantly more sustainable, but who do not own a fleet. The levers to force this commitment are (multi-annual) volume-guarantees that manufacturers/retailers agree with transporters. By agreeing longer-term volumes and routes, transporters can develop a real commercial business case for LNG trucks. The Action’s headline objective thus is to increase the use of LNG fuel in heavy freight logistics by introducing the sustainability-agenda of manufacturers/retailers – in addition to cost – as a deciding element in future contract negotiations between manufactures and transporters.
The Actions specific objective toward reaching the overall objective is the completion of a study with pilot deployment, of a LNG refuelling network (5 pilot LNG stations) along 3 Core Network Corridors and full-scale deployment of LNG as a road-transport fuel for medium to long haul road transport involving the fuelling points and operation in LNG powered trucks. The study and pilot deployment – which will take 36 months to complete - should validate the hypothesis that the sustainability agenda of freight volume owners can be a deciding factor in encouraging transporters to make the transition from diesel to LNG fuelling. The results will be valuable not only for transporters, but will be important for all volume owners who have quantified logistics sustainability targets. The Action’s specific objective is divided into the following sub-objectives:
- Execute a study and pilot LNG-fuelling network to generate substantiated data needed to reduce the perceived risk of logistic service providers on operability and cost of deployment of LNG powered HGVs for medium and long haul road dispatches.
- Provide insight into the conditions which need to be fulfilled for a successful market uptake of LNG as a fuel and for a viable infrastructure operation
- Develop business models together with the logistic service providers involved in the pilot deployment for the market uptake of LNG as a fuel for medium to long haul road transport.
- Deliver validated study results that show freight volume owners the cost-benefit ratio of executing their logistics sustainability agenda through longer-term contracts with transporters which allow the latter to invest in LNG fuelled heavy freight vehicles
- Contribute to the standardisation of LNG fuelling process and development of user-accepted (=chauffeurs) safety procedures to ensure safe and efficient LNG fuelling throughout Europe
- EU-wide standard LNG-specific legislation for fuelling stations.
While implementing the action, the utmost importance will be granted to the fulfilment of EU environmental law, in particular, the provisions of Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment, Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds, Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna, Directive 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for community policy in the field of water, is a pre-condition for the disbursement of EU financial aid to the Action. The compulsory assessments must be duly completed and approved by the competent authorities according to national law and in line with requirements of relevant EU legislation before the start of the physical intervention.