Avangrid, Inc., a member of the Iberdrola Group, announced the purchase of 130 new hybrid bucket trucks. This will span for over three years to support its Northeast utilities. Avangrid’s plan highlights its dedication to electrifying its fleet and embracing alternative energy sources, including electric, hybrid, and green fuels.

The hybrid vehicles, from two manufacturers, use diesel engines for driving and electric motors for bucket lifts, providing notable benefits. Benefits include improved safety, with engines off during power line work, reducing exhaust exposure and enhancing crew communication via quieter motors.

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The design improves fuel efficiency by using the electric motor for the bucket lift and cabin comfort, minimizing diesel consumption. Using electric power for the lift reduces engine wear, enhancing reliability and extending the vehicles’ operational lifespan significantly over time.

Pedro Azagra, CEO of Avangrid, said, “It is important that Avangrid lives its values as a leading sustainable company and drives innovation across the business. In this case, we are expanding our use of new technologies that will make us more energy efficient.”

He added, “Hybrid vehicles will also improve the health and safety of our employees and the communities we serve, while preserving Avangrid’s ability to respond to emergencies in our service area and beyond.”

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Exploring Additional Sustainable Alternatives

Avangrid is also advancing other environmentally friendly technologies within its fleet. For instance, Avangrid already uses renewable diesel, derived from plant materials, in its Lancaster, New York, service area vehicles. The company plans to increase its use of green fuels in its hybrid vehicles.

The company aims to switch 60 percent of its heavy-duty fleet to alternative energy sources by 2030, meeting its sustainability goals.

Tree Energy Solutions (TES), a green energy leader, is making significant progress in advancing its Green Energy Hub in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. TES is developing a liquid CO2 export terminal to support its vision of becoming the world’s leading e-NG producer.

Partnership in Carbon Management

TES has joined the Carbon Management Alliance (CM Alliance), an industrial initiative implementing Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) technologies. The collaboration with the CM Alliance will help drive innovative solutions for carbon management across various industries. This move supports TES’s goal of building infrastructure for efficient carbon management, essential for advancing global decarbonization efforts.

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CO2 Export Terminal to Support Decarbonization

The CO2 export terminal will receive CO2 captured from industrial emitters, transporting it by rail or pipeline to Wilhelmshaven. The terminal will temporarily store the CO2 before exporting it to storage facilities or shipping it to renewable energy-rich countries.

Developing CO2 export infrastructure is a strategic move for TES, advancing its goal of becoming a key e-NG producer. The terminal will connect CO2 emitters from Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, enabling emissions transportation efficiently.

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Hugo Dijkgraaf, Chief Operating Officer at TES, said, “The CO2 export terminal will be a key asset for Germany’s industrial decarbonization, connecting CO2 emitters and hard to abate industry clusters across Germany and Europe, initially through existing rail networks. “

He added, “This approach allows emissions to be transported without requiring significant new infrastructure. CO2 from Germany, eastern France, Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic can be delivered to Wilhelmshaven. The project could connect to storage facilities in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the UK, with the potential to integrate future sites through the flexible ship-based export facility.”

With future expansion plans, the terminal could also connect to storage facilities in Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the UK.