Work is well underway on Ireland’s second public Compressed Natural Gas re-fuelling station in Cashel
Today, Gas Networks Ireland took delivery of the main components for a Compressed Natural Gas station in Ireland’s second publicly-accessible, fast-fill CNG station at Circle K’s Cashel premises. Construction got underway in July and the CNG station is expected to be open in November. The project is co-financed by Gas Networks Ireland and the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility as part of Gas Network Ireland’s Causeway Project.
CNG is natural gas which has been compressed to fit into a Natural Gas Vehicle’s (NGV) tank and is particularly suitable for use in commercial vehicles. It is a proven alternative to diesel or petrol and reduces transport costs by up to 25% and carbon emissions by over a fifth. In the future, these vehicles can achieve zero carbon transport when operating on renewable gas.
While Heavy Good Vehicles (HGV) and buses account for only 4% of vehicles on Ireland’s roads, they account for 30% of all emissions in the road transport sector. There are an estimated 25 million NGVs in operation worldwide, and almost two million in Europe.
Ian O’Flynn, Head of Commercial and Corporate Affairs at Gas Networks Ireland said: “Ireland’s transport emissions continue to rise, while this is the by-product of much welcomed economic and employment growth, as a country we face significant challenges to meet our emission reduction targets. Gas Networks Ireland is leading the development of this new, cleaner transport network, to support Ireland in reducing its carbon emissions and to give Ireland’s fleet operators sustainable energy options.”
Jonathan Diver, Senior Fuels Director, Circle K Ireland said “We are proud to be launching Ireland’s second publicly accessible fast-fill compressed natural gas station at Circle K Cashel, through our partnership with Gas Networks Ireland. At Circle K we’re delighted to play a role in reducing the carbon emissions of commercial transport vehicles. We are constantly striving to make our customer’s lives easier every day and it’s brilliant to be able to offer a cost-effective fuel alternative to commercial fleet drivers in Ireland. We’re very much looking forward to rolling out more CNG stations nationwide on key transport routes in the future, alongside Gas Networks Ireland.”
CNG for transport is one of the key gas technologies set out in Gas Networks Ireland’s Vision 2050 published this week which outlines how it can reduce Ireland’s total carbon emissions by one third and create a net zero carbon gas network.
More on Vision 2050 can be found on: www.gasnetworks.ie/vision2050
ENDS
About Gas Networks Ireland
Gas Networks Ireland is the business division of Ervia that owns, builds and maintains the natural gas network in Ireland and connects all customers to the gas network. Gas Networks Ireland operates one of the most modern and safe gas networks in the world and ensures that over 700,000 homes and businesses receive a safe, efficient and secure supply of natural gas, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
About Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
CNG is natural gas which has been compressed to fit into a Natural Gas Vehicle’s (NGV) tank and is particularly suitable for use in commercial vehicles. It is a proven alternative to diesel or petrol and reduces transport costs by up to 25% and carbon emissions by over a fifth. There are an estimated 25 million NGVs in operation worldwide, and almost two million in Europe.
CNG is the ideal fuel for decarbonising large Ireland’s commercial transport fleet which makes up just 3% of vehicles on the road, yet is responsible for approximately a fifth of transport’s emissions. Switching to CNG can reduce a Heavy Goods Vehicle’s (HGV), emissions by up to 22%. In the future, these vehicles can achieve zero carbon transport when operating on renewable gas. Gas Networks Ireland has a strategic plan to achieve 20% renewable gas on the network by 2030.
In August Gas Networks Ireland and Circle K, launched Ireland’s first publicly-accessible, fast-fill CNG station at Circle K’s Dublin Port premises. The project is co-financed by Gas Networks Ireland and the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility as part of Gas Network Ireland’s Causeway Project.
Compared to diesel, CNG delivers the following emissions savings:
| Comparison | % Reductions |
| Emissions reduction | Up to 22% reduction on diesel |
| Nitrous oxide (NOx) | 70% reduction in emissions |
| Sulphur dioxide (SOx) | 80% reduction in emissions |
| Particulate matter | 99% reduction in emissions |
The Causeway Project will see the formation of an initial national refuelling network together with renewable gas injection and the deployment of CNG vehicles. The delivery of 14 fast fill CNG stations will represent the first significant deployment of CNG refuelling infrastructure in Ireland. The provision of a renewable gas injection facility will play a significant role in delivering sustainable renewable gas to Irish gas customers in support of a sustainable indigenous energy source.