The first truck-dedicated natural gas filling station in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region of southern France is to open by the end of the year following an agreement between the Marseille Fos port authority and gas station developer/operator Proviridis.
One of fewer than five such facilities in France, the station will be located close to the Fos container terminals and Distriport logistics zone in a new service area including secure parking, weighbridge units and driver catering and washroom amenities. Regional and European Commission aid is funding half of the overall €1.3million development cost.
Two fuel types will be available, LNG and Compressed Natural Gas, partly derived from biomethane produced by waste recycling. With index-linked prices saving 30% compared with diesel, the initiative will offer a cheaper alternative that also responds to COP 21 and national measures to improve air quality. Pending eco-transport regulations in France include an urban ban on diesel vehicles from 2020 and a tax on pollutants such as CO2.
The station launches a network that is due to cover all the region’s logistics sites by the end of 2018 – giving haulage operators the confidence to invest in gas-powered vehicle fleets and meet shipper demand for reduced environmental impact in moving their goods.
The Marseille Fos port authority said the station was in line with its energy transition strategy and its clean air campaign in the Fos port-industrial zone. The authority also welcomed the support for natural gas throughput at Fos due to the station being supplied from the nearby Elengy methane terminal.
