Smithstown, Shannon, County Clare headquartered Clean Ireland Recycling has officially opened Ireland’s first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) refuelling station outside of Dublin. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, Denis Naughten, TD., performed the landmark ceremony.
This joint venture between Clean Ireland Recycling and Gas Networks Ireland will service Clean Ireland Recycling’s dedicated CNG waste collection trucks, the first of their kind in Ireland. CNG is natural gas which has been compressed to fit into a vehicle’s tank and is particularly suitable for use in commercial vehicles. A proven alternative to diesel or petrol, CNG provides the greatest cost saving and emission reduction benefits for transport operators.
Speaking at the launch, Denis Naughten T.D., Minister for Communications, Climate Action & Environment: “Transport is a critical part of our economy. It is also a significant driver of Ireland’s emissions profile. Currently, commercial and public transport vehicles using diesel account for 3% of the vehicles on Irish roads, but account for over 20% of the total road transport emissions. Businesses like Clean Ireland Recycling show that there is an appetite to change to the cleaner and more cost-effective alternative offered by Compressed Natural Gas. This is a welcome step and marks a progressive development for Ireland’s commercial fleet sector. The announcement is the first of many in the coming months from Gas Networks Ireland, as they introduce CNG, and ultimately Renewable Gas, as a new transport fuel in Ireland. I would like to congratulate Clean Ireland Recycling and Gas Networks Ireland for their innovation in and dedication to building a cleaner Ireland.”
Speaking in Shannon at the launch of the station Clean Ireland Recycling’s Brian Lyons said that the investment maintains the company’s proud tradition in the industry as market leader nationally when it comes to introducing environmentally friendly solutions. “Lowering our carbon footprint is a priority for our business and for our customers. From the moment we started operations in the early 1990s, we have been a pace setter for the industry nationally in terms of introducing environmentally-friendly solutions, some of them ground-breaking nationally. The development of this CNG facility at our site in Shannon is right up there among them,” he said.
“Transitioning our waste collection fleet to CNG will achieve a reduction of up to 22% CO2 emissions and a 99% reduction in particulate matter. Not only does this make sense environmentally, CNG can achieve fuel cost savings of up to 35%, so the decision to adopt the technology is the smart choice.”
“Our customers across Clare, Limerick and Tipperary will have the comfort now of knowing their carbon footprint is being lowered through this initiative. We are delighted to be the first to adopt this offering nationally and it’s a move that I believe should be replicated across the country. The decision we have made to invest in a CNG fleet is not just environmentally smart, it makes sense in pounds, shillings and pence.”
Denis O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Gas Networks Ireland added: “We are delighted to open the first private fast-fill CNG station here at Clean Ireland Recycling. Waste collection vehicles are notoriously energy intensive and Clean Ireland Recycling are proving their innovation and sustainability credentials by adopting CNG technology, and deploying the first CNG waste collection vehicles in Ireland.
“CNG, and in the near future Renewable gas, will play a major role in making transport in Ireland cleaner. Gas Networks Ireland is determined to play our role in facilitating the development of a new, cleaner transport network for Ireland.”