BOC opens Australia’s first micro LNG plant in Tasmania to give trucking operators an alternative to diesel
February 17, 2011
Australia’s first micro LNG plant has opened in Tasmania to give trucking operators a low-emissions alternative to diesel.
The $150 million site constructed by BOC supplies five 24-hour refueling stations across Tasmania.
BOC South Pacific Managing Director Colin Isaac says the Westbury plant can produce 50 tonnes of LNG a day, which is equivalent to 70,000 litres of diesel.
“We are delighted to have reached this significant company milestone with the launch of Australia’s first micro-LNG plant built with the specific purpose of supplying LNG to the heavy transport sector,’’ he says.
The self-service refuelling stations will be located on existing trucking routes at Burnie, Westbury, Rocherlea, Scottsdale and Bridgewater. A sixth site is planned for Epping Forest.
The company plans on building plants on the mainland, which Isaac says will reduce emissions and carbon pollution.
“We regard LNG as the perfect alternative to diesel for transport operators from a commercial, economic and environmental perspective,” Isaac says.
The Chairman of LNG Refuellers, a consortium of seven Tasmanian transport operators, Ken Padgett says the LNG plant has the potential to shield companies from future energy shocks while also reducing emissions.
“This particular project will provide a leading-edge model for future application in the rest of the country,” he says.