Are Diesel-Engine Car Owners in a Trap Which Forces them to Continue Running Polluting Vehicles?

Many unfortunate UK owners of diesel powered cars feel they have been duped into buying them by false "green" promises about diesel vehicles. 

They think that although they never sought to contribute to city air pollution, they are trapped into continuing to run their polluting vehicles. At least, they do resolve themselves not to take action until they trade in their current vehicle, often not until several years time.

It has been commonly accepted that if you own a diesel vehicle, not by your own preference, but having been encouraged to own a diesel by the government. You are left with no alternative but continue. 

Via Wikipedia - Donald Trung Quoc Don (Chữ Hán: 徵國單) - CC BY-SA 4.0

But, the fact is that you don't have to continue! You do have an alternative to using it, as is.  

You don't need to feel vaguely uncomfortable every day "doing the school run", knowing now what we do, about the health dangers to children from tiny "particulates" in your car's exhaust, for example

Running a polluting diesel is easy to put-right, and it need not cost you in the long term. It could even save you money.

As explained in our press release below, most diesel engines can be converted to run on liquid natural gas (LNG).

Having done that, owners would preferably run them on carbon neutral bio-LNG from anaerobic digestion. But, supplies aren't universally available, whereas LNG is.

LNG conversion, essentially by adding gas storage cylinders to your vehicle, costs a couple of thousand pounds. But, you’ll soon recover that at the pump in cheaper fuel, over 12-18 months (c.10,000 miles).

Increasing numbers of LNG filling stations are being opened. Information about that is here.

This was just one of the topics featured during the recent ADBA "Global outlook for biomethane and infrastructure development" event co-located with the World Biogas Summit earlier this month.

Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association - PRESS RELEASE (July 2019): 

Birmingham biogas trade event to show the way on Bio-LNG

Bristol City Mayor Martin Rees announced on Thursday last week [20 June 2019] a consultation on proposals to ban diesel cars from the city to tackle air pollution, which is now a bigger killer than tobacco and three times larger than Aids, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

The UK government has said it will ban the sale of diesel cars from 2040. It would seem that if you own a diesel, having been encouraged to own a diesel by the government, you have been left in a no-win situation.  

Not so. Most diesel engines can be converted to run on liquid natural gas (LNG) – preferably carbon neutral bio-LNG from anaerobic digestion. It will cost a couple of thousand pounds but you’ll soon recover that at the pump over 12-18 months (c.10,000 miles).

There are over 20m LNG cars in the global fleet and, for HGVs, Bio-LNG is rapidly gaining traction as fuel – as it reduces CO2 emissions by over 85%, NOx emissions by 50-70%, and almost zero particulate matter. 

It has been found that fleet operators who switch to renewable natural gas (biomethane) more than exceed what is required under the benchmark minimum standard for emissions. Fuel savings are notable too. 

With costs that are typically 33% less – and in some instances, as much as 50% less – operators can see that biogas makes commercial sense. It means that the filling-station infrastructure is emerging too.

The shift makes economic sense.  London and Norwich have been taking the lead on the introduction of what are known either as Low Emissions Zones or Clean Air Zones with another 30 cities and local authorities across the UK set to introduce similar measures.

Under these schemes buses and HGVs failing to meet minimum standards face charges for entering the zones of £200 a day. Such zones are commonplace in cities across mainland Europe.

Meanwhile biomethane as fuel for transport has been boosted by an EU directive requiring Member states to ensure a sufficient number of publicly accessible refuelling points to allow the circulation of CNG vehicles both in urban and sub-urban areas and on the TeN-T core network, ideally every 150 km, to be built by end-2025.

Furthermore, the government’s Renewable Fuel Transport Obligation has increased the biofuels volume target, including biomethane, from the current 4.75% to 9.75% in 2020, and 12.4% in 2032.

 The future of Bio-LNG will be a key theme at both UK AD and World Biogas Expo 2019 and its co-located thought-leadership forum World Biogas Summit on 3rd-4th July in Birmingham.

CNHi Industrial will display its IVECO Stralis Natural Power truck and latest FPT Industrial Natural Gas engines, whilst New Holland will showcase the innovative Methane-Powered Concept Tractor, combining visionary design with advanced and sustainable biomethane combustion, a key element in the Energy Independent Farm™ concept, which sees farmers producing fuel from waste products.

 - Press Release Ends -

Other top topics during the 2019 Biogas Summit earlier this month were:

• UK Cities ramp up the fight against air pollution
• Bio-LNG gains traction as a solution to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles
• Prototype tractor and other vehicles on display at UK AD and World Biogas Expo

More information is available on the 2020 World Biogas Summit here.