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Could Supermarket Lorries Be Fuelled By Manure?

There is a big drive to reduce carbon emission levels at the moment, which is why processes such as anaerobic digestion (AD) have become much more popular, as they make fuel out of waste products.

This procedure could even fuel lorries for major supermarkets, with the vehicles running on compressed biogas from food slops, cow manure and sewage sludge.

Herald Scotland reported how Peter Eaton from CNG Fuels plans to open two filling stations in Lanarkshire to fuel trucks from Waitrose, Asda and Hermes.

“Our fuel reduces the carbon footprint of a truck by more than 80 per cent,” he stated.

The company has planning permission for the first site at Bellshill, while it has submitted an application for the site in Larkhall, which could fill up 160 trucks per day once operational.

Friends of The Earth Scotland’s Richard Dixon said using biomethane from AD is a “good option”, as it means much of the food that is thrown away every year could be put to good use.

He went on to say: “Where we really do need a lorry to do a journey then running on biomethane is better than running on diesel, for both climate and local air pollution.”

While the long-term goal is to power vehicles through electric batteries, Mr Eaton noted it could be “decades” before these are strong enough for the larger trucks.

This comes after ReFood called the government to eradicate food waste from landfill, Bioenergy Insight revealed.

Despite food waste being usable in the AD process, WRAP findings revealed that it is still responsible for 19 million tonnes of CO2e every year.

For more information on pressure vacuum relief valves for use in AD, get in touch with us today.