The construction of the new CNG filling station in Berlin Westhafen is successfully completed despite the pandemic, which switched some construction site discussions to virtual mode.
From now on, the station operates in standard mode. It is open for all freight customers in Westhafen.
„With the opening of the ninth CNG filling station in Berlin, we are reaffirming our commitment to environmentally friendly mobility. It is also clear from the further expansion of our CNG filling station network, which now includes 61 locations. All natural gas drivers in Berlin now gained another opportunity to experience a technology that is already fully developed and reliable,” says Viacheslav Salychev, Managing Director of Gazprom NGV Europe.
„As the filling station for CNG trucks is now in operation in Berlin Westhafen, freight traffic has a direct refueling opportunity. Already at the planning phase, BEHALA made sure that only biomethane from waste can be refueled here, in the center of Berlin. It means that this transportation is carried out with renewable fuel and almost CO2-neutrally. Thus, existing transport chains get further decarbonised,” says Petra Cardinal, Managing Director of BEHALA-Berliner Hafen- und Lagerhausgesellschaft mbH. As well as one transport company and other renters in the port, BEHALA is also converting its truck fleet to CNG.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) has a significantly better environmental balance than conventional fuels and makes a contribution to reducing emissions in road traffic. NGVs emit a quarter less CO2 than oil-powered vehicles and enable cost savings of around 50% while refueling compared to oil-powered vehicles. The NOx emissions from vehicles powered by natural gas are even 95% lower than those of diesel engines.
Gazprom NGV Europe, based in Berlin, is a company of Gazprom Group, with headquarter located in St. Petersburg. The company provides the activities of the Gazprom Group on the European market for natural gas as a fuel. The focus of this work is the development of infrastructure to supply trucks and cars with compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Gazprom NGV Europe currently operates 47 CNG filling stations in Germany and another 14 in the Czech Republic.
BEHALA is the operator of the trimodal Berlin freight traffic centers in the inner city. With 130 employees and annual handling and transport volume of 4.5 million tons, BEHALA is one of the largest inland ports in Germany.