Flix and Scania announce a long-term partnership to enable more sustainable long-distance travel. Scania will supply up to 50 coaches with Bio-LNG (LBG) technology, to be run by Flix’s bus partners across the FlixBus network, by 2025. With this partnership, Flix and Scania want to progressively enhance the use of biogas in bus travel, with wide and economically viable sustainability benefits including an expected CO2 emissions cut of around 80% for coaches entirely running on Bio-LNG.
For Flix fleet transformation is a key lever in its long-term strategy for decarbonization, with 2040 as a set timeframe for full carbon neutrality in Europe. As a first objective, the two companies aim to equip up to 50 LNG (Liquefied gas) coaches of the Flix bus partners in their fleet. The technologies used are devised to allow the use of LNG and Bio-LNG (LBG) interchangeably to facilitate the transition towards the most sustainable gas solution. In the initial phase of the project, the coaches can run on different fuel mixes of bio and fossil origin. The goal of the project is as both companies emphasize, “to progressively increase the share of Bio-LNG (LBG) from organic waste in such mixes until the coaches run on Bio-LNG only, resulting in an expected CO2 emission reduction rate of around 80% on average. By switching to locally produced liquid biogas as fuel in long-distance transport, operators can substantially reduce both their own and their customers’ climate impact.” The outfitting of the coaches is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Irizar, the global bus and coach manufacturer, is integrating the Irizar i6s
Efficient with the Scania chassis. Flix has made the commitment to full decarbonisation in Europe by 2040, well ahead of the timeframe set by the Paris Agreement. This long-term objective is being pursued by Flix by “enacting a holistic four-principle climate strategy, where fleet transformation plays a crucial role through alternative drives and fuels. Among these, biogas technologies have great potential and are already set for use and ready for scale-up in the FlixBus fleet. Of course, the availability of refuelling infrastructure in Europe plays a crucial role in making biogas a valuable energy source.” As the first major manufacturer of heavy commercial vehicles to commit to the SBTi (the Science-Based Targets initiative, which provides companies with a clearly defined path to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals) Scania’s climate targets commits to cut CO2 emissions from internal operations by 50% by 2025 and to support customers to reduce emissions from products in use by 20% during the same period.