Arla Foods has taken delivery of seven new Volvo FM LNG 6×2 tractor units to help the
business meet its targets to reduce the CO2 emissions of its operation by 2030.
The UK’s biggest dairy cooperative currently views bio-LNG (liquified natural gas) as the best
option to improve the sustainability of its commercial vehicle fleet and opted for Volvo having
trialled its gas technology against another manufacturer.
Supplied by Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East, the new FMs come equipped with
sleeper cabs. They will be used for back-to-base operations collecting and delivering milk
from Arla’s farms and depot operations in Leeds and Burton-On-Trent to processing sites
across the country.
Richard Wilson, Inbound Logistics Director at Arla Foods, says: “We have some ambitious
sustainability targets to meet in the coming years, and reducing emissions from our logistics
operations will be key to helping us meet these. We have trialled dual fuel vehicles which
proved successful, but these new units are an even bigger step up for us. We are now turning
cow poo from our farms, and food which would otherwise go to waste, into a source of
renewable fuel.
“These new bio-LNG trucks will play a crucial part in our plans to hit our 2030 sustainability
targets – which is a 63 per cent reduction of CO2 against our baseline from 2015 for our
own fleet operations. Who knows what the future holds in terms of electric and hydrogen
technology but for now and the medium term we believe trucks powered by bio-LNG are the
best route for us to make a significant carbon reduction in the fleet.”
The FM LNG benefits from Volvo’s unique approach to gas engine technology, using small
amounts of diesel to initiate ignition of the air-fuel mixture. This enables the Volvo G13C
engine to deliver the same 460 hp and 2,300 Nm of torque as a standard 460 hp diesel,
with matching driveability, reliability and service intervals. The gas powertrain also provides
engine braking just like a regular diesel tractor unit – and without needing a separate retarder
which adds weight and complexity.
Paired with Arla’s eye-catching milk tanker trailers, the new FMs are expected to cover in
the region of 200,000 km per year and have been backed with five-year Volvo Gold
contracts to guarantee maximum uptime.
They will refuel at Gasrec’s flagship open-access site at Daventry International Rail Freight
Terminal (DIRFT) and at the Gasrec built station at Reed Boardall’s depot, in Boroughbridge.
Visibility of the new FMs is boosted thanks to large windows, narrower and raised A-pillars,
lowered door lines and excellent side mirrors, plus the sleeper cabs are fitted with an
additional rear window, as well as a lower window on the passenger door.
A high front axle helps ground clearance when operating off road, and the exterior also
benefits from a steel front bumper and brushed Alloy wheels.
The seven FM LNG trucks replace seven diesel tractor units in Arla’s commercial vehicle
fleet.
