Rebro Transport, LNG and the TotalEnergies card
Source: the original version of this case study can be found here.
In the past year, Rebro Transport based in the Netherlands made a first step towards sustainable mobility by purchasing LNG trucks. Liquefied natural gas is currently considered the cleanest fuel available for freight transport by long-haul trucks. Moreover, it is price-competitive and in some use cases more cost-efficient than conventional fossil fuel options such as diesel. Roy Rens, co-owner of Rebro Transport, based in Rucphen, tells his story.
"We drive a lot to and from Germany, and therefore gain maximum benefit. We refuel on LNG with the TotalEnergies Card at the PitPoint.LNG station in Venlo and make use of the Maut exemption in Germany for trucks running on natural gas. That saves us 36,000 euros a year in toll costs per LNG truck, and on top of that the favourable fuel consumption," says Rens. Both financial and environmental benefits prompted Rebro Transport to transition to LNG. The co-owner noticed that more and more customers value this form of corporate social responsibility. "They are very positive and communicate it to their customers.”
Increasing number of LNG stations
Rebro Transport has 76 trucks, eight of which are now running on LNG. However, switching all to LNG is not planned for the time being. Not because the transport company does not want to do so, but because it is not yet logistically feasible due to the limited number of LNG refuelling stations in Germany. "Our LNG trucks can cover a distance of 1,000 kilometers with a full tank, while running on diesel almost triples this range. This means you first have to determine a route based on the availability of LNG filling stations, before you can plan to use an LNG truck."
The need for more LNG filling stations for road transport in Germany is also clear to TotalEnergies. The popularity of LNG has taken flight with the introduction of the maut scheme in Germany. That is why TotalEnergies is working with its joint venture partner PitPoint.LNG on the planned construction of 5 new LNG stations in the country. At present, the TotalEnergies Card allows all transporters headed for Germany to use the PitPoint.LNG station in Venlo just before the Dutch border. We look forward to further facilitating these customers in Germany in 2021.
‘The green hulk’
According to the co-owner, Rebro Transport's drivers are also satisfied with the new LNG trucks, which, in terms of looks and power, are not inferior to their tough diesel brothers. The drivers like to hit the road with 'The Green Hulk' or 'The Green Machine', as they refer to the LNG truck, and have mastered the process of filling it up with liquefied natural gas fairly quickly. This is partly due to the free LNG refuelling training that TotalEnergies can offer via PitPoint.LNG, a training aimed at refuelling LNG as efficiently and safely as possible.