Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) has begun trials with an Iveco Stralis Active Day 21 tonne distribution vehicle running on compressed biomethane (CBM). It marks the first CBM-powered commercial vehicle to be operated anywhere in the world by CCE, and the first such Stralis to be delivered in the UK.
The trial will be used to determine the long-term sustainable transport strategy of CCE in Great Britain, and has been supported with the installation of a roadgas LCBM refuelling station at the company’s distribution facility in Enfield, Middlesex.
Darren O’Donnell, Logistics Asset Manager at CCE, explains: “Our primary reason for selecting CBM is that it has the lowest carbon intensity of all commercially available alternative fuels, allowing us to benefit from the best possible well-to-wheel saving.
“The gas used to make the CBM comes from a landfill site in Surrey, which means it is not depleting any fossil resources. This effectively allows us to power the Stralis using the latent energy recovered from rubbish thrown away by society.”
The Stralis AD260S30Y/FS-D CNG is purpose-built on the factory-line for natural gas powered applications and is recommended for operation in the UK with CBM supplied by Gasrec. It features a six cylinder 7.8 litre Cursor 8 engine which produces up to 300 hp at 2,000 rev/min and up to 1,100 Nm of torque between 1,100 and 1,650 rev/min, driven through an Allison 3500 six-speed automated gearbox.
“There are very few gas-powered heavy trucks on the market, but the availability of a Stralis proved the perfect fit with our business as we already run 50 diesel-powered models, and have been a prominent Stralis customer since 2004,” says O’Donnell.
