1. Liquefied methane
as a transport fuel
Rolf Willkrans
Environmental Affairs
Volvo Group Headquarters
Göteborg, Sweden
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
1 2010-01-12

2. Business Areas
Volvo Trucks Renault Trucks Mack Trucks Nissan Diesel
Construction
Buses Equipment VolvoTrucks
Mack Penta Volvo Aero Financial Services
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
2 2010-01-12

3. Seven trucks running on renewable fuels
A technology demonstration
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
3 2010-01-12

4. Lorum ipsum est reality
From concept to
– in just three years
Inledande bild + rubrik
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
4 2010-01-12

5. Key drivers for methane gas trucks
• Availability: Methane gas is
the most accessible fuel as an
alternative to diesel. Increased
focus on biogas production
• Cost savings: Methane gas is
currently a relatively cheap
fuel in many markets
• Environmental regulations:
Affects purchasing decisions,
particularly in municipal areas
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
5 2010-01-12

6. Methane gas + diesel – technical solution
• A standard Euro 5 diesel
engine with 45% energy
efficiency
• Over 50% greater operational
range compared to a spark
ignited engine
• 50-80% of the diesel can be
substituted by methane gas
• Can run on only diesel if out
of gas
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
6 2010-01-12

7. Methane gas + diesel – how it works
• A small amount of diesel is
injected and ignited by the
compression
• This in turn ignites the methane
gas/air mixture
• No need for a spark plug.
Allows Volvo to make full use of
the efficient diesel technology
• Result: power and driveability
identical to that of a
conventional diesel truck
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
7 2010-01-12

8. New engine components
By-Pass Throttle
By-Pass Pipe
Charge Air Pipe
Gas Injectors
Gas Mixing Chamber
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
8 2010-01-12

9. Methane gas storage: CNG vs LNG
CNG – compressed methane
gas
• Suitable for shorter
distances/city traffic
• Benefits from exiting
distribution network
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
9 2010-01-12

10. Methane gas storage: CNG vs LNG
LNG – liquefied methane gas
• Enables up to 50% longer
driving range
• Opens up for new applications
• Requires new distribution
network
• Truck specific filling station
for LNG
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
10 2010-01-12

11. Opportunities for climate neutral biogas
Natural gas:
• The most accessible fuel
alternative to diesel, with
reserves that will last longer
than crude oil
Biogas:
• Climate neutral biogas
production is gaining
momentum in many countries
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
11 2010-01-12

12. Opportunities for climate neutral biogas
Strategy:
• Establish the technology with
natural gas. Gradual shift
towards biogas when possible
Ny bild här
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
12 2010-01-12

13. CO2-reduction potential: methane + diesel
• Possible greenhouse gas
reduction of up to 80 % when
using biogas and biodiesel
• Today 5-7 % biodiesel is mixed
with fossil diesel
• The mix could be increased
depending on development in
technology and accessibility Ny bild här
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
13 2010-01-12

14. Field tests in commercial traffic 2010
• Sweden and the UK chosen
– FL/FE trucks in Linköping one
part of the field tests
• Trucks to run on methane gas and
biodiesel/fossil diesel
• Different types of engines and
configurations
• Possible small scale market
introduction already in 2011
• Critical: customer demand and
gas distribution network
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
14 2010-01-12

15. In summary – methane gas + diesel
• Large methane gas reserves
• Increased biogas production
• High fuel efficiency
• Over 50% greater operational
range compared to a spark
ignited engine
• Suitable for long-haul
applications (LNG)
• 80% greenhouse gases
reduction potential
AB Volvo
961, Rolf Willkrans
15 2010-01-12