Ocado’s Dordon Customer Fulfilment Centre will soon have a new natural gas refuelling station.
The announcement comes as the online supermarket commits to a transition to alternative fuels.
In January 2019, Ocado self-funded the purchase of an onsite grid-connected gas refuelling station at its depot in Hatfield.
Therefore, it was keen to ensure the network expanded according to demand.
The new facility at Dordon is due to open in Q2 2022.
It will be designed and built by Gasrec and will fuel 10 CNG tractor units already running from the site.
Furthermore, it allows a further 70 tractor units to move from diesel to blended biomethane.
Ocado Group’s Graham Thomas outlined the plans for the new natural gas refuelling station.
“The results we have seen since beginning our switch to gas have been fantastic.
“In addition, they show we’re on the right path to a more environmentally-friendly future.
Therefore, he said, the Dordon facility will allow Ocado to get more gas trucks on the road.
Also, it would enable to company to access delivery routes further up the country, he said.
The facility at Dordon will be a tanker fed operation.
Therefore, Ocado signed a 10-year supply agreement with Gasrec.
As a result, the supermarket will more than double to number of CNG units on its fleet in the next three years.
Therefore, more than two thirds of its total fleet will run on natural gas by that time.
“We are committed to transitioning away from diesel,” added Thomas.
“So, the performance of the Iveco gas trucks we have in service has only strengthened our conviction.”
The new natural gas refuelling station will offer many benefits.
For example, there will be 99% fewer particulate emissions.
In addition, the vehicles will emit 70% less nitrogen oxide than the latest diesel standard.
