Engie backs liquid nitrogen refrigeration

FRANCE:  GNVert, part of French energy provider Engie, has partnered with German gas manufacturer Messer to promote liquid nitrogen transport refrigeration.

With the establishment of the Engie station at La Courneuve, Paris, alternative fuels distributor GNVert will jointly develop of green solutions intended for their customers in the refrigerated road transport sector.

Messer will offer the new Engie station a liquid nitrogen bunkering solution for HGVs, carriers and semi-tractor trailers equipped with a cryogenic refrigeration unit.

Liquid nitrogen-based cryogenic refrigeration units are seen as an innovative and effective solution for addressing the new demands of urban logistics, which involve an increasing number of deliveries in town centres. The liquid nitrogen system is said to be silent and emits no particulates, NOx or CO2.

Associated with vehicles that operate on natural gas or bio-methane, cryogenic refrigeration units represent an alternative to diesel in an urban environment, making it possible to reconcile night-time deliveries with respect for residents and the environment.

“This partnership not only offers new prospects for the development of alternative fuels in the refrigerated transport segment, but also increases productivity for our customers by making it possible to bunker natural gas fuel and liquid nitrogen at the same station,” explained GNVert general director Philippe Van Deven.

With plans to duplicate this model at several other Engie stations, Nicolas Denis, president of Messer France, said: “Faced with the increasing demands of transporters, we figured out, together with our partner Engie, a way to offer bunkering points and to make it possible to deploy this innovation. It responds to environmental concerns that France and its local communities must address.”