Hirtshals will have one of Denmark's first tank installation with liquid gas for heavy traffic
It is necessary to have more climate friendly alternatives to the diesel that 43,000 trucks in Denmark use if the heavy traffic is to be steered in a greener direction. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is one of the options that can lower CO2e emissions.
Now a collaboration between Hirtshals Havnefond, Hirtshals Transport Center and Q8 ensures that one of the country's first LNG plants will be located at Hirtshals Transport Center near Port of Hirtshals before the end of 2023.
- The LNG-filling station will make it possible for heavy transport to convert from diesel to gas operation, and thus the Jutland Corridor will be the first stretch in Denmark where gas-powered trucks can be used on an equal footing with traditional, diesel-powered trucks. The freight transport corridor above Hirtshals thus helps shape the future of the land transport sector and at the same time ensures the attractiveness of the corridor for an increasingly climate conscious transport sector, says Per Holm Nørgaard, CEO at Port of Hirtshals.
The construction of the LNG tank facility is also a step closer to the realisation of Port of Hirtshals' future plan to upgrade the port to a version 2.0. The plans include, together with a significant expansion and facility improvement, i.a. the ambition to become the greenest traffic port in Europe for goods, transport and logistics solutions as well as the production of better alternatives to the traditional fuels.
A contribution to the sustainable transition
The investors behind the project are satisfied with being able to contribute to the green transformation of the transport sector and at the same time support the development and growth of business activities in Hirtshals.
- We are experiencing a great desire from customers to drive on more climate-friendly fuels, but the options have been limited for heavy transport. With the investment in liquefied gas, we will make it easier for the Northern European transport companies to invest in cleaner technology and use more climate-friendly alternatives, says Gert Thomasen, Head of Fleet & IDS in Q8 Denmark.
In January 2022, Q8 could open Denmark's first LNG plant for trucks in Padborg, and with a plant located in Hirtshals, one is thus taking an important step towards securing the transport of goods from Europe through Denmark and further north with less climate-damaging fuels.
- Due to our central location in relation to freight traffic between Norway and the EU, we will be at the forefront when it comes to fuel for trucks, so that we will also be attractive to all players in heavy land transport in the future. This is only the first of several new alternatives to diesel that will come to HTC, says director at Hirtshals Transport Center (HTC) Tonni Sørensen.
Prospects for greener gas
When the facility at Hirtshals Transport Center opens, it will be possible to refuel LNG. Compared to diesel, LNG trucks emit up to 29% less CO2e, eliminate the emission of sulfur and significantly reduce the emission of harmful particles. The expectation is that within a shorter number of years it will be possible to refuel liquid biogas (LBG) in Hirtshals. In this way, trucks will be able to run on biogas, which will further reduce the emission of CO2e.
- We expect that within a manageable time horizon it will be possible to refuel LBG - i.e. liquid biogas that is produced using wind turbine power - at the plant, and thus we have a direct line from the wind turbines in Hirtshals to a less climate-damaging alternative to the trucks that are refueled at Hirtshals Transport Center, says chairman of the board of Hirtshals Havnefond, Tom Frandsen.
The LNG plant at Hirtshals Transport Center can be put into operation in November 2023.
Facts:
- LNG consists of natural gas that has been cooled down to -162 degrees, which turns the gas into a liquid.
- This process reduces the volume of natural gas to 1/600, whereby it can be used as, among other things, fuel for trucks and ships.
- Compared to diesel LNG emits up to 20% less CO2e.
- LNG eliminates sulfur emissions and the amount of harmful soot particles is significantly reduced.
- Liquid biogas, also called LBG (short for "liquefied biogas"), is chemically identical to LNG, but will further reduce CO2e emissions.
- Two trucks can be refueled at a time at the future LNG plant.