Irish Recycling Company Introduces the Country's First Gas Powered Refuse Vehicles

Irish Recycling Company Introduces
the Country’s First Gas Powered Refuse Vehicles

Clean Ireland Recycling has introduced the first refuse vehicles in the country to be run on compressed natural gas. The company has partnered with Gas Networks Ireland to develop Ireland’s first gas refuelling station at their premises in Shannon. There are far fewer emissions with natural gas than diesel, and so it’s massively reducing the company’s carbon footprint. Carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 22%, and nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide emissions will be cut by 70% and 80% respectively.

As well as helping the environment, Clean Ireland’s innovation will help them cut costs by 35%. They’ve invested in lower emission trucks and they will continue to gradually replace their diesel-powered fleet of vehicles over the next few years.

Powering vehicles with compressed natural gas is not a new thing; there are 25 million gas-powered vehicles globally, and almost 2 million of them are in Europe.

Demand for cleaner fuels in Ireland

There is a growing demand in Ireland for cleaner fuels, and Gas Networks Ireland have responded by planning to build a network of refuelling stations across the country.

Clean Ireland and Gas Networks Ireland have been congratulated on their innovation by the Environment Minister. Clean Ireland have responded by saying that introducing natural gas-powered vehicles is the best solution for the environment and for their business. They added that their customers will be happy that they are having their recycling collected by a company intent on reducing their carbon footprint and protecting the environment wherever possible.

The Managing Director of Gas Networks Ireland stated that the company is determined to play a role in developing a cleaner transport network for the country.

What is compressed natural gas?

Compressed natural gas is made from the same gas that we use for heating our homes and cooking. When the gas is compressed, it can be used to fuel vehicles. It’s a viable alternative to highly-polluting petrol. Compressed natural gas has much less of an impact on the environment and it’s easily extracted. When it’s burned, it mainly produces water and carbon dioxide. Here how it fares compared to other fuels:

• There are 20-30% less carbon dioxide emissions compared to petrol engines.
• It produces 95% less nitrogen oxide emissions than diesel powered engines.
• Benzene emissions are almost completely eliminated.
• Sulphur emissions are reduced by 50% compared to diesel engines.
• You’ll also save around 60% on fuel if you use compressed natural gas compared with oil and diesel.