Four trucks begin Trinidad pilot using locally produced methanol fuel

Proman and Dumore Enterprises have launched four trucks powered entirely by methanol produced in Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a pilot examining the fuel’s potential use in commercial road transport. According to Proman, Dumore has been operating four Geely Farizon G2 trucks on public and private roads since mid-July, following approval from the Transport Commission. The trucks are being fuelled with locally produced methanol and have collectively travelled more than 17,000 kilometres while transporting industrial goods. Proman said the vehicles have completed 41 refuellings at its production facilities on the Point Lisas Industrial Estate in Couva. The company estimates that approximately 3.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions have been avoided when compared with conventional diesel-powered trucks. However, Proman’s announcement did not provide the methodology behind the calculation or independently verified comparisons of operating costs. Dumore intends to continue operating the trucks until the pilot reaches approximately 100,000 kilometres, allowing the companies to gather further information on vehicle performance, reliability and commercial viability. The project could also test whether methanol produced by Trinidad and Tobago’s established petrochemical sector can have a wider role in domestic transportation. Proman said broader adoption would require changes to existing national fuel standards. According to the company, the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards would need to accommodate methanol blends and establish a standard covering the use of 100 per cent methanol as a transport fuel. The pilot comes as Trinidad and Tobago considers ways of using its existing energy and petrochemical infrastructure while examining lower-emission alternatives for transportation.