Environmentally friendly alternatives are changing the logistics industry – NCS Finland and Pinecape started to use an LNG-fueled vehicle

The EU’s ambitious emissions targets to curb climate change also create a challenge for logistics companies to reduce transport emissions. The emission targets require heavy-duty transport to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 15% by 2025 compared to 2019. NCS Finland and Pinecape are aiming to reduce emissions by using liquefied natural gas (LNG).

“LNG was the natural choice for us since it meets existing and future emissions targets,” says Jarmo Halonen, COO, NCS Finland. “Our customers are increasingly interested in cutting emissions in transport and require more environmentally friendly alternatives. We want to impact the environment through our own operations and the easiest way to do this is to change the transport fleet.”

NCS Finland specializes in comprehensive road transports across Europe. The company carries more than 30,000 consignments each year. Concern for the environment is an important value for the company, which has developed its operations long term in accordance with sustainability and customer wishes.

”We’re pleased that leading companies such as NCS Finland and Pinecape are using LNG to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. We’re strategically building a network of gas filling stations in Finland and the other Nordic countries to make it easier for growing numbers of companies to switch to a low-emission fuel,” sums up Jani Arala, Senior Sales Manager, Traffic, Gasum.

Eco-friendliness and affordability of LNG were incentives to acquire the vehicle

Like NCS Finland, the company’s subcontractor Pinecape also addressed low-emission transport solutions. Harri Nummela, Logistics manager at Pinecape says that the low emissions and eco-friendliness of LNG were incentives for the decision.  

”Climate issues are important to us and we wanted to do our own bit to help. Driving with LNG has gone really smoothly. In the long run, we’re also clocking up significant savings in fuel costs compared to diesel-fueled vehicles. We’re definitely considering acquiring more LNG-fueled vehicles,” Nummela states.

Pinecape started using a Volvo FH LNG tractor unit for transport in July. Nummela would also like to see other logistics companies benefit from the expanding network of gas filling stations and start to use gas-fueled vehicles.

”In long-distance transport you can drive as far as 1,000 kilometers on a tankful of natural gas and fuel costs are lower than for diesel. Nevertheless, there’s no need to compromise whatsoever on performance and torsion in a Volvo FH LNG-fueled truck when compared to a similar diesel-fueled vehicle. Demand for LNG-fueled trucks is constantly growing,” says Reino Manninen, Sales Director, Volvo Trucks.

The use of LNG can reduce greenhouse gas emissions originating over the life cycle of the fuel by more than 20% compared with fossil diesel. LNG produces less local and particulate emissions and so urban air quality does not suffer. In addition, LNG makes it possible in future to switch to liquefied biogas (LBG), which is similar in composition to LNG, but which can be made from household biowaste, food waste from retail outlets and municipal sewage sludge. The use of biogas in transport can reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the lifecycle of the fuel by up to 85% compared to diesel.

Vehicle technical specifications - Volvo FH 6x2 T 460 hp LNG

• 460hp (2300Nm) LNG engine meeting Euro 6 emission standards and also available in a 420hp (2100Nm) version.

• 4x2, 6x2 or 6x4 drive, available as a tractor or rigid.

• LNG engines have the same efficiency and performance as a normal diesel-powered vehicle.

• LNG-tanks come in three different sizes which can hold 115, 155 or205 kg of gas. The largest tanks enable a driving range of up to 1,000 km. In addition, a 170-liter diesel tank comes as standard.

• Equipped with new I-See predictive cruise control