Mercedes Actros for Tri Counties Biogas
Tri Counties Biogas is benefiting from “amazing” fuel economy and efficient night-time maintenance and repair back-up by its local Dealer after commissioning five new
Mercedes-Benz trucks.
The fast-growing company harvests and stores a variety of energy crops for use in one of Europe’s largest anaerobic digestion (AD) plants.
Tri Counties Biogas operates from Picket Piece, near Andover, Hampshire, and its Actros StreamSpace tractor units arrived via Pentagon Commercials, whose branch on the town’s Walworth Industrial Estate is only a couple of miles away. They are the subject of a contract hire agreement with Guildford-based commercial vehicle specialist Translease Services.
The new trucks are powered by advanced six-cylinder engines producing 350 kW (476 hp) and driving through smooth-changing Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated transmissions. Four are 2448 models with 17.5-inch wheels on the mid-lift axles in place of the standard 22.5-inch items – as well as being lighter, these also free up useful space on the chassis for ancillary equipment. The fifth unit is a 2548 with tag axle.
Tri Counties Biogas has also ordered three Arocs 2553 BigSpace tractors with 390 kW (530 hp) straight-sixes, which are due for delivery in April. Purpose-designed for construction-related applications, the Arocs rides higher and offers more ground clearance than its Actros stablemate, making it particularly well suited to some of the roughest farm sites served by the operator.
Founded in 2014 by partners Steve Shutler and Daniel Chippendale, it has a 20-year contract to supply the anaerobic digestion plant with high-quality feedstock from which to produce biogas. The company last year assisted farmers to maximise the profitability of their land by cutting over 110,000 tons of crops, including rye grass, maize, wheat and barley, and plans a further increase in tonnage in 2017.
Anaerobic digestion is a natural process whereby, in the absence of oxygen, organic material is broken down by micro-organisms. It is used to manage waste as well as to produce fuels, for which energy crops are by far the most efficient source.
The trucks collect crops from farms across the south-west and transport them to the AD plant in high-capacity bulk tipping trailers. They also deliver high-quality liquid fertilizer which is a bi-product of the AD process in tank trailers, for spreading back over the land.
In addition to its five Actros and trailers, Tri Counties Biogas runs four previously-acquired tractor units by other manufacturers and a variety of agricultural equipment, including one of the country’s first John Deere 8600i forage harvesters. It additionally provides bulk liquid waste haulage and spreading, cultivation and maize drilling, and slurry services.
“We’re very pleased with our new Actros,” confirmed Transport Manager Steve Down. “Image is important to us and they look great, while the drivers love them for their comfort and all-round driveability, with the automated gearbox particularly popular.
“Their fuel efficiency, meanwhile, is absolutely amazing, and reinforces the ‘green’ credentials of our business. At 44 tonnes gcw we’re getting up to 12 mpg on a long motorway run and averaging 9.5 mpg. This puts them as much as two miles per gallon ahead of our two Swedish-built tractors, and even further in front of the others, which can only manage 5-6 mpg.”
Mr Down explained that Tri Counties Biogas had opted for small-wheeled mid-lift axles on four of its Actros to maximise productivity – its latest 3,300-litre aluminium tank trailers, by Crossland Tankers, of Burnley, offer impressive payloads of almost 29.5 tonnes. The remaining vehicle was specified with the tag axle configuration for the enhanced manoeuvrability this offers, which allows it to access restricted sites, and for its larger fuel tank.
Mr Down added: “Translease and Pentagon have both been very supportive. The proximity of the Dealer workshop was another key factor in our decision to go with the Actros. Its team are providing a very good service, inspecting and maintaining our vehicles at night and delivering them back in the early hours of the morning, so they’re always available for work when we need them.”
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