Asturias is the first region in the north of Spain to have, in one installation, a public refueling service of vehicles that use alternative energies, natural gas and electricity. The new installation, EDP’s propriety, is located in Roces (Gijón). The company has invested 400 000 euros in its construction and launching.

The counselor of Employment, Industry and Tourism, Francisco Blanco, and the councilor of Citizenship Security of Gijón, Esteban Aparicio, have attended, together with the CEO of EDP Spain, Miguel Stilwell de Andrade, to the launching of the installation. They all have agreed in pointing out the importance that this Ecostation has for the boost of sustainable mobility, both in the municipality of Gijón and in the region.

During the startup of the installation, one of the two trucks of natural gas acquired by the council, through the Municipal Company of Services of Urban Environment (EMULSA), was used, as well as an electric vehicle of EDP’s fleet.

The city council of Gijón has acquired both vehicles within its commitment with the reduction of emissions produced by its fleet of heavy vehicles and the one of municipal companies. The trucks will be refueled for free in EDP’s facilities for a year, as a result of an agreement regarding the improvement of air quality in Gijón.

The Ecostation is open to public 24 hours a day, every day of the year, in a self-service system. It is a clean installation that does not generate neither waste nor emissions and has all security mechanism needed, as well as surveillance and remote monitoring means. Furthermore, it enables intercommunication of the user, at any time, with the Security Center of the company.

Facilities combine two areas. On the one hand, a compressed natural gas supply (CNG), that enables a quick refuel of the vehicles – two minutes for private cars and around eight for trucks -. This supplier enables the refuel of two vehicles at a time. The charging point for electric cars has this same feature, and their owners can charge their batteries in around twenty minutes.

The refuel of natural gas is carried out in a conventional petrol station, with a hose that connects directly to the inlet of the vehicles’ tank, through a connector that avoids the emission of gas into the atmosphere. Users can make their payment with a credit card or with the loyalty program of EDP, that may be requested to the company through the e-mail address movilidadsostenible@edp.energia.es.

Natural gas comes directly from the distribution network of the company, what ensures an efficient and uninterrupted supply of such energy. The same natural gas is used at a domestic and industrial level, but with a different pressure. The installation is connected to a compressor that raises pressure up to 250 bars, which enables to hold more energy in the tank, and translates thus in a better autonomy of the vehicle.

Natural gas is the fossil fuel which generates the least emissions. In comparison with diesel, it reduces up to 80 % of the emissions of nitrous oxides, while sulfur oxides and particulate matter are practically non-existent. These environmental advantages add to the significant saving in the fuel cost, around 40 % regarding petrol and 30 % regarding diesel, which makes natural gas especially beneficial for intensive consumption.

All these advantages make that the greater part of automobiles’ manufacturers have decided to use natural gas for mobility and already have in their catalogues production cars.

These quick charging points for electric vehicles are connected to the distribution network of electric energy in the company and have three main connectors, authorized by the main manufacturers, for the fast recharge of electric vehicles. As in the case of gas supply, users can pay it with their credit card or through the loyalty program of EDP. With this point, EDP has already installed a total of ten in Asturias, six out of them in Gijón.

The use of electric vehicle also implies multiple advantages, both environmental and economic. On the one hand, its use does not imply neither emissions nor noise pollution. Savings, regarding combustion vehicles, can raise up to 80 %. On the other hand, these vehicles’ efficiency is three times superior to the one of combustion vehicles, being the cost of maintenance way inferior to the conventional ones.

The construction of this Ecostation answers to EDP’s commitment with sustainable mobility. This campaign has been renewing its own fleet for years. It already has more than 100 vehicles of alternative energies. Likewise, the company has its own infrastructure of stations for the refuel of natural gas and charging points.

EDP

EDP is an energy group, leader in international value creation, innovation and sustainability. It is part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (World and STOXX), and it is moreover leader in world renewable energy.

In Spain, EDP is a model company in the energy market, present in the generation, distribution and commercialization of electric energy, natural gas and services, in which more than 3 million people already trust.

EDP is leader in gas in Cantabria, Murcia and the Basque Country, as well as in Asturias, where it is also model electric operator.