Bologna, TPER has inaugurated a new LNG distribution station

Bologna’s municipal public transport operator TPER has inaugurated its new LNG (liquefied natural gas), bioLNG and L-CNG (compressed natural gas derived from liquid methane) distribution station inside the company depot in via Ferrarese, Bologna.

The plant, now operational, will guarantee the refueling of a large part of TPER’s natural gas vehicle fleet: the fleet of the Bologna basin has 451 methane buses, of which 329 are compressed natural gas and 122 are liquefied natural gas.

The construction of the refueling station involved a total investment of 1.5 million euros supported with public resources made available by the Emilia-Romagna Region – 420,000 euros from the Funds for Development and Cohesion (FSC) and 560,000 euros from funds of the Strategic Plan National Sustainable Mobility (PSNMS) – and for the remaining part, 510,000 euros, with TPER resources.

Bologna launches LNG station for buses

TPER has been a pioneer in Europe – in 2019 – for tenders to purchase LNG buses, as they guarantee higher daily mileage. Natural gas is, in fact, recognized by the EU as a ‘bridging fuel’ in the current phase of transition towards zero-emission local public transport, TPER says. Methane buses, in addition to reducing harmful emissions compared to diesel, have the great advantage of being able to be powered by biofuels without the need for technical modifications to the vehicles or further infrastructure, thus guaranteeing the possibility of decarbonised public transport (with total compensation of CO2 in the entire well-to-wheel cycle).

The new dispensing system allows buses to be refueled inside the TPER depot, being able to serve both LNG and compressed natural gas obtained by regasifying methane from the liquid state, also allowing optimization and speed up filling operations compared to distributors connected to the gas pipeline network. Already now, thanks to the supply guaranteed by SOL, the station can also supply bioLNG, for a further ecological benefit.

TPER’s partners for LNG infrastructure

The construction of the refueling station was carried out by the mandatory company SOL SpA and CEDEM Scarl.

SOL‘s long experience in the distribution and sale of cryogenic gases, construction of cryogenic storage systems and supply of LNG and bioLNG, combined with CEDEM‘s decades-long experience in plant engineering, were decisive factors in choosing the right partners to accompany TPER in this step towards the transition energy sustainability.

LNG, the best solution for long distances

The President and CEO of TPER SpA, Giuseppina Gualtieri, stated: “Aware of the importance of public transport in protecting the environment, we have long been committed to guaranteeing top environmental sustainability in every area of our service. For long distances, today liquid methane represents the best solution, confirming the validity of an operational choice that has proved to be far-sighted. This refueling system testifies to Tper’s commitment to maximizing investments in support of the ecological transition, using all the public resources made available by our institutions and supplementing them with significant amounts of self-financing from the company”.

“We are proud of this collaboration for the realization of this important project which, once again, brings SOL more and more to the center of the energy transition and sustainable mobility, for a local public transport increasingly attentive to the environment and oriented towards the future” – commented Daniele Forni, Deputy General Manager of Technical Gases of SOL Group.

“We too join in the expressions of satisfaction relating to this very important project which, as CEDEM, we have followed in all phases of implementation and start-up, proud to have worked for a strategic reality for mobility in the region such as TPER. More and more convinced of the choice to operate in a virtuous partnership now consolidated with SOL SpA, corroborating a mission that has long been aimed at supporting the public transport companies of the TPL, and in the now ten-year vision aimed at strengthening innovation and the process of digital and ecological transition, such as the recent construction of plants/products and services in the hydrogen sector” – commented Marco Malagoli, CEO of the CEDEM Scarl group.