Logistics company DHL Supply Chain has announced a major new investment into biomethane.

The company is set to start operating biomethane fuelled trucks with in investment worth €80m into a new dedicated anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in Cork, run by Stream BioEnergy.

The new AD plant will produce enough biomethane to fuel up to 150 trucks, saving around 15,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

DHL's trucks will run on biomethane gas.

DHL has joined forces with grocery retailer Tesco Ireland for the initiative.

Once the new facility is fully functioning, DHL will operate 92 locally fuelled biomethane trucks across Tesco’s countrywide network.

Given the scale of the rollout, this will be a game changer for the transportation industry in Ireland, DHL said.

Tesco’s current HGV transport fleet makes over 2,000 trips weekly, serving a network of 166 stores nationwide.

AD

The AD plant at Little Island, Cork, will be owned and operated by Stream BioEnergy and is currently still in planning.

The plant was initially granted planning permission to produce electricity. However, the owners are now changing its use to produce biomethane gas.

Stream BioEnergy's proposed Cork AD plant.

The plant will process 90,000 tonnes of non-hazardous biodegradable industry and consumer food waste each year.

Under new plans, currently being evaluated by Cork County Council, the AD plant will also capture and liquify CO2 to be used for industrial purposes.