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Creel Maritime Ltd Launches Innovative Methanol-Powered Land Rover Project

 Award-winning Creel Maritime Ltd, a pioneer in sustainable transport solutions, has once again set a new benchmark in the forest industry.  Building on their track record of innovation— and with the support of Scottish Government’s agency Scottish Forestry, facilitating the introduction of the first electric heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) into Scotland’s timber sector and operating their own John Deere Forwarder on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO)—Creel Maritime is proud to announce their latest initiative: ForestBiodrive.

In a groundbreaking effort to drive forward the adoption of sustainable fuel alternatives in the rural sector, ForestBiodrive aims to demonstrate the potential of methanol-powered vehicles as a cleaner, more cost-effective solution for the forestry and utility sectors.  As part of this initiative, Creel Maritime has been successfully testing a Land Rover 90TDI to run on methanol, showcasing the viability of this technology for potential larger scale deployment. The vehicle is currently being rigorously tested in the forests of north Scotland.

Creel Maritime’s Managing Director, Neil Stoddart, highlighted the importance of this transition: "The advancements in electric and hydrogen technology are impressive, but the cost of replacing heavy machinery and vehicles is out of reach for many in our sector. Drop-in fuels, like methanol, offer a more accessible alternative, enabling existing assets such as trucks, ships, and heavy equipment to transition to greener energy sources."

The ForestBiodrive project marks a bold step toward reducing the environmental impact of road vehicles and off-highway machinery. Green Methanol, produced from waste and biomass, offers a scalable and potentially locally sourced alternative to traditional fossil fuels, reducing the dependency on long supply chains associated with green fuels like HVO. "Even well-known green fuels, such as HVO, are now being scrutinised for their origins and the carbon footprint involved in transportation. Locally produced green fuels have clear environmental and economic advantages," Neil added.

Key Features of the ForestBiodrive Methanol-Powered Land Rover:

• Reduced Carbon Footprint: Methanol combustion produces much lower levels of CO2 and particulates compared to diesel, contributing to a cleaner environment.
• Advanced Performance: The methanol-powered Land Rover demonstrates comparable—if not superior—performance to traditional fuel-powered vehicles, with potential for widespread applications across Marine, Forestry, Heavy plant and Haulage sectors.
• Scalability & Local Production: The success of this project could pave the way for broader adoption of methanol as a viable alternative fuel in automotive and industrial applications, especially where local production of Green Methanol from recycled waste and forestry co products such as brash (branches) is feasible.

The project has received support from various forestry and industry stakeholders, including Associated British Ports, Coillte (Ireland), JST Services (Scotland) Ltd, and TYGRIS.  The technical work on the Land Rover has been undertaken by NATIVE, a leading specialist in Land Rovers.

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