A DAF XF 105 460 CV Euro 5 is the first truck in Greece to be able to run on diesel and natural gas dual fuel thanks to an innovative platform from Ecomotive Solutions. The successful conversion has prompted a further 17 trucks to adopt the technology.
Through its distributor in Greece, Natural Gas Technologies, Ecomotive Solutions went to work in 2012 on an all-inclusive vehicle and in-house refuelling project to convert trucks into diesel and natural gas dual-fuel vehicles. The conversion is particularly important given that until July 2014 there was no law on compressed natural gas (CNG) conversions in Greece. The law was also the result of the efforts of Natural Gas Technologies, a company that has been able to seize the business opportunities and savings made possible by natural gas. At present there are just five refuelling stations with natural gas throughout Greece.
The project has seen the conversion of a DAF XF 105 460 CV EURO 5 into a dual fuel vehicle using the d-gid platform. The 1200-litre diesel fuel tank was replaced by a 400-litre diesel tank and eight 70-litre cylinders for CNG that ensure a range in dual-fuel mode of about 600km.
Based on the price of diesel fuel in Greece at the end of January, this conversion has resulted in approximately 24% savings on fuel costs. This is a major result especially in view of the current financial crisis in the country and the importance of its logistics industry, with Greece’s strategic role as the first port for incoming goods traffic from the Suez Canal.
Given the excellent results obtained from the first conversion, another 17 trucks in the fleet of FL Group Kiriakidis (specializing in the quarrying of marble and other building materials) will be converted into dual-fuel vehicles using the d-gid platform. The project will also see the creation of a refuelling station at the company, as well as a second station for refuelling mining machinery.
Moreover, through its collaboration with Natural Gas Technologies, Ecomotive Solutions has recently announced the acquisition of a new project for the conversion of a fleet in Athens, further testifying to the company’s belief in the uptake of conversions in the country.
The d-gid dual-fuel platform is able to drive a diesel engine simultaneously with a mixture of gases (natural gas/biomethane stored in compressed form instead of LNG, as well as LPG, syngas, hythane) and diesel fuel. The application of the d-gid system does not change in any way the nature of the diesel engine, while maintaining the same initial performance and efficiency. When CNG is lacking, the system automatically switches back to working with 100% diesel fuel.
The d-gid dual fuel system is approved by the Italian Ministry of Transport for application on heavy-duty vehicles up to the Euro 5 category and road tests are currently in progress for application on Euro 6 engines
May 1, 2015
