Lisburn, Northern Ireland: McCulla Ireland has secured a £3.1m investment from Lombard for an additional 25 trucks, including 11 powered by biogas
The new vehicles are expected to cut carbon emissions by 79%. Some 85% of McCulla’s Northern Ireland fleet is now powered by the biogas produced by an anaerobic digester plant located at its Lisburn site. The biogas-run vehicles emit 93% less carbon than their diesel-run counterparts.
McCulla says that it is the only company in the UK and Ireland operating bio-CNG trucks using gas produced from food waste, and producing electricity via a controlled heat and power (CHP) unit to power its own carbon neutral cold store. Its anaerobic digester plant also produces bio-fertiliser, which is supplied to local farms in a circular economy model.
Michael Gray, finance director at McCulla Ireland, said: “For many years we have been on a mission to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels in our transport fleet, and these new biogas-run vehicles represent our latest step in completing that mission.
“Lombard has been a huge support to us throughout this process, with its particular expertise and presence within the Northern Ireland haulage sector allowing us to work collaboratively to find the best solution for our business. We look forward to continuing to work with Lombard to find new ways to make our operations more sustainable.”
Declan Napier, relationship director, Northern Ireland at Lombard, said: “McCulla Ireland is leading the way for sustainability in the haulage sector – the company has adopted a truly full circle approach to its energy production and consumption, allowing it to reduce waste to an absolute minimum right across its supply chain.
“We are very pleased to support McCulla Ireland in its exemplary work, which I’m certain will inspire others in the haulage sector.”
Given the success of the use of biogas in its Northern Ireland fleet, the company is currently exploring the use of biogas in its fleets at its other depots.
Lombard, part of the NatWest group, has been funding renewable energy projects since 2010.
