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Interview with Christoph Klade, Logistics Sustainability Consultant at Brau Union Österreich AGon the use of biomethane with CNG trucks to reduce CO2-emissions during beverage deliveries in the greater Linz area. In a market where many are turning away from CNG technology – why are you still relying on CNG? We've been using CNG vehicles in our daily operations for many years. Of course, battery-electric or hydrogen-based drivetrains are alternatives to diesel – but despite government subsidies, they are currently still very costly and come with certain drawbacks in logistics, such as payload capacity or range. With the use of BioCNG*, however, we’ve been able to significantly reduce our CO₂ emissions – and without any changes to our existing processes. How did this decision come about? What were the key arguments? We made a deliberate decision in 2022 to go with CNG. At that time, this technology – especially in combination with biofuels – offered the best opportunity to reduce CO₂ emissions without having to accept operational disadvantages. The BioCNG* share was calculated to reduce CO₂ by 80% compared to diesel. During the certification period from January to March 2025, the ISCC (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) confirmed a reduction of 89.6–92% through a proof of compliance. Additionally, the range of the CNG trucks matched that of diesel vehicles, and the availability of BioCNG* was secured. This allowed us to achieve measurable success early on – and we see CNG as a sensible bridging technology on the path toward emission-free transport. What has your experience been after a year of using the technology? Our experience with the CNG vehicles has been consistently positive. Refueling – provided the station is properly equipped – is just as fast as with diesel trucks. After deciding to convert our entire logistics site in Linz to BioCNG* – that’s 25 trucks – we also built our own company filling station to improve supply security. Unfortunately, we’ve noticed that the public CNG filling station network has declined significantly in recent years. Many fueling stations have been shut down.  How much biomethane do you produce at your site? Since 2016, the Göss brewery has been using biogas generated from brewery residues like spent grains. Thanks to a new upgrading facility, we can now maintain high-level biogas production even on weekends. Surplus gas is fed into the public grid. In total, we produce about 11 GWh of biogas annually. Are there any further initiatives in the area of CNG? At the moment, we are not planning to add more CNG vehicles to our logistics fleet. Our current focus is on expanding our biomethane production from spent grains. If we generate production surpluses in the future, it would be conceivable to put additional vehicles into service. How do you plan to supply your breweries with energy in the future – biomethane, hydrogen, electricity? As part of the global HEINEKEN sustainability strategy “Brew a Better World,” Brau Union Österreich aims to continuously reduce energy consumption across several sites. To that end, we are relying on a mix of technologies: photovoltaic systems, heat pumps, partnerships with district heating cooperatives, and of course, biogas plants all play key roles. We’re pursuing an integrated approach focused on long-term supply security and ecological responsibility. *At the Heizhausstraße site in Linz, a special natural gas filling station for the truck fleet was built in cooperation with Linz AG. Although the vehicles are refueled with a mixture of CNG and biogas, the entire fuel consumption is considered biogas thanks to a mass balance approach. This is made possible by purchasing biomethane certificates that fully offset the consumption. Thank you for the very informative conversation. We wish you all the best and continued success! Cheers! |
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