CONCOR to buy another 100 LNG-fired trucks
State-owned logistics company Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) is rapidly expanding its fleet of LNG-fired heavy-duty trucks with plans to buy 100 more.
CONCOR invited offers from companies that can design, manufacture, supply and commission the trucks on October 15 (2024), with November 6 (2024) as the bid deadline. "But we extended the bid deadline to November 13 (2024)," confirms a company source.
CONCOR wants trucks of a minimum 52-tonne Gross Combination Weight (GCW) capacity, and whoever wins the contract must maintain them for two years at its specified terminals. Last year (2023), CONCOR ordered 100 LNG-fired trucks from Pune-based Blue Energy Motors.
"We received 75 trucks in 2023-24," adds our CONCOR source. In October 2018, India's green watchdog, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), directed CONCOR to "gradually phase out" diesel-fired trucks and replace them with either electric or gas-fired vehicles.
Besides procuring LNG-fired trucks, CONCOR also wants to set up LNG storage and dispending infrastructure under MoUs signed with IndianOil in January 2024 and Delhi-based IGL in November 2023. IGL is setting up LNG storage, regasification, and L-CNG facilities at CONCOR's Dadri container depot.
"Construction work has begun, and the facilities should be ready by March next year (2025)," says an IGL source. IGL will set up similar LNG facilities at CONCOR's container depots nationwide.
"Big heavy-duty fleet operators like CONCOR are diesel guzzlers," admits an IGL source. "Shifting their diesel-fired fleet to LNG makes economic and environmental sense as diesel-fired trucks are polluting."
He adds that an LNG truck emits up to 28% less carbon dioxide and up to 30% less noise than a diesel-fired truck. IGL, IndianOil, and CONCOR are also working on transporting LNG from terminals such as Dahej and Hazira by rail.
"ISO containers can be placed on rail rakes to transport LNG," we hear. On January 29 (2024), CONCOR signed an MoU with IndianOil to explore refuelling CONCOR's trucks at IndianOil's LNG stations across India.