Using compressed and liquefied natural gas as a fuel in long-distance road freight transport – opportunities, challenges, and threats from the Polish perspective

Abstrakt

The development of road transport, including freight, is inextricably linked with the attempt to find a fuel optimal in terms of costs, distribution, and operation, as well as environmental impact. For decades, the most commonly used fuels have been products of crude oil processing – gasoline and diesel oil. As such, they have powered road transport from the very beginning of their practical use. However, nearly all that time attempts have been made to find other propellants, including electricity and various types of gases. The main aim of this article is to analyze whether in today’s Polish reality it is profitable to introduce gas (mainly LNG) as a fuel for long-distance road freight transport. The analysis is based on real data obtained from companies that use LNG trucks in normal road traffic. The data indicate that under certain conditions, especially when the weight of the load does not exceed 70–80% of the nominal load capacity and the roads are largely flat, the use of gas becomes economically viable. Nevertheless, there are still some unknowns related to, i.a., higher operating costs of gas vehicles, which are of great practical importance – for besides environmental considerations, each carrier must also take into account the purely economic aspect of its operations.