Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR), a large Germany-based waste and recycling company, recently added to its fleet 22 Mercedes-Benz Econic refuse trucks that run on compressed natural gas (CNG), bringing the company's total complement of natural gas vehicles to 150 units.
The company also opened a new treatment facility that processes about 60,000 tons of organic waste annually and turns it into biogas, which is then distributed to three BSR stations in Marzahn, Prenzlauer Berg and Wilmersdorf for the CNG-powered refuse fleet's use.
All of BSR's Mercedes-Benz Econic trucks feature Allison 3000 Series fully automatic transmissions. Allison says its proprietary torque converter ‘compensates for the slower response-time-to-throttle cycles typical of natural gas engines, multiplying engine torque at vehicle launch and smoothly transferring power to the drive wheels.’
BSR estimates that it displaces about 660,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually by consuming its own bio-CNG.
