Trucks running on natural gas cut pollution and noise... and they cost less to run, says Jan Chmiel, general manager of Iqara Eco Fuels, one of the sponsors of the TransportAction York Conference

Truck operators can do their bit for the environment and make big savings on fuel costs by switching to liquefied natural gas (LNG).

LNG is more familiar to us as the gas that powers our cookers and domestic boilers.

But LNG in its liquid form makes an excellent commercial vehicle fuel. LNG costs up to 27 per cent less than diesel and is far cleaner.

Gas-powered trucks make half the noise of diesel trucks, so they are popular with drivers and people living in towns and cities.

LNG is already well-established in the USA, Argentina, India and Italy. But now more and more UK truck operators are making the switch.

The greatest fuel savings can be made by operators of depot-based heavy trucks (44-tonnes) covering high mileages.

An operator with 100 trucks, each clocking up 100,000 miles a year, would save up to an amazing £1m a year in fuel costs.

And now there are big government grants to help truck operators make the switch. Government-funded CleanUp grants provide up to 75 per cent off the extra cost of buying a LNG truck - or converting an existing truck to LNG.

Moreover, road tax rates are £500 lower for low emission trucks. It all adds up to an attractive option.

There are plenty of trucks to choose from. Major UK suppliers of natural gas powered vehicles are ERF, Scania, Dennis, Iveco and Foden.

Councils around the country keen to reduce both pollution and noise are already using gas powered refuse collection vehicles.

Iqara Eco Fuels is part of the BG Group and supplies LNG and installs dedicated, depot-based LNG refuelling stations.

For more information visit www.iqara.com or call 0800 328 6675.