Q8 and MAKEEN Energy partner on Denmark’s first LNG refueling station

Around 30 000 diesel-driven trucks occupy the roads of Denmark, emitting significant amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) every day. To steer the heavy road transport sector in a greener direction, it is, therefore, essential to transition to cleaner, more sustainable fuels.

MAKEEN Energy will deliver the station, which is expected to be ready at the end of 2021 – and will be the first of its kind in Denmark.

Strategic location

The new station will be located at Q8’s International Diesel Service (IDS) station in the Danish city of Padborg, which is right next to a major highway and the border with Germany.

Here at Q8, we have one clear goal for this project. We want to help our customers start a sustainable transition of their transport. We are seeing a growing demand for sustainable solutions within the heavy goods transport sector, and more companies now demand that their goods be transported using more sustainable energy sources, such as gas, said Gert Thomasen, Head of Fleet & IDS at Q8 Denmark.

Padborg is one of Europe’s busiest transport hubs, and over 7 000 trucks make their way here each day, which will make the station a key junction for the transport of goods between Scandinavia and the rest of Europe.

We want to enable our customers to get that transition going, and LNG and liquefied gas in general are highly relevant alternatives for heavy transport, which can’t just be converted to electricity overnight. Our customers aren’t waiting around – they want concrete solutions, Gert Thomasen said.

Green light for sustainable transport

According to Q8, the road transport sector in Denmark is being held back by the complete lack of refueling options for LNG.

Therefore, the fuel distributor and retailer has chosen to take the first step with this project, aiming to make it easier for North European freight companies to invest in cleaner technology.

Today, LNG usage is widespread in Germany, among other countries, and on the rise in Sweden. Compared to diesel, LNG-fuelled trucks emit up to 22 percent less CO2 and completely eliminate the emission of harmful particulate matter (PM).

The world needs to move away from diesel and other highly polluting fuels – and this initiative is a significant milestone. One of our goals is to break down the barriers that currently hinder the use of cleaner fuel in trucks. Now we are tackling one of the big ones, which is the lack of availability, said Frej Olsen, Head of Cryo at MAKEEN Energy.

Fast refueling for all trucks

The station in Padborg will be fully automatic, requiring no operator – the truck driver can fill up his own tank in just a few minutes. The station will be able to accommodate all types of trucks.

The technical solution will be delivered in collaboration with the Dutch company LIQAL.

MAKEEN Energy will deliver the station as a turnkey project, handling everything from project management to civil works and installation.

The station will also be delivered with an advanced online surveillance system that maximizes safety and user experience.

On the road to further CO2 reductions

In the future, the station in Padborg will be able to supply liquefied biomethane bioLNG gas (LBG) – a 100 percent fossil-free energy source. While the switch from diesel to LNG will require new trucks, transitioning from LNG to bioLNG requires no further investment in refueling stations or vehicles.

One significant advantage of bioLNG is that the production of biogas can accept excess and waste products from, for example, agriculture.

In that way, part of the heavy transport can be converted to a fossil-free alternative, while simultaneously reducing the CO2 emissions of both the transport sector and the industries that supply the biogas producers. This will be yet another step on the way to sustainable truck transport and cleaner air.

The LNG station in Padborg will be part of a European network, IDS has 25 other locations that also offer LNG.