WE ASK THE CUSTOMER
More power to methane
Read time: 3.5 minutes
The New Holland T6 Methane Power tractor is helping a Norwegian company cut its use of polluting vehicles and fulfill contractual obligations without compromising on power or increasing costs
Svein Tore Sæther,
Chief Executive of Graver
This year’s Nordic World Ski Championships, in the beautiful city of Trondheim in central Norway, was disrupted by sleet, rain and slush. Huge quantities of artificial snow saved the day, but the unusually warm mid-winter weather was a stark reminder that efforts to reduce carbon emissions, which contribute to global warming, are much needed.
One initiative by Trondheim city council is to insist its contractors increase their use of non-polluting vehicles, with a target of 60% of operating hours by 2035. That has encouraged Graver, an earthworks specialist, house builder and Trondheim council contractor, to invest in four New Holland T6 Methane Power tractors.
“We use methane-powered tractors in our contract work with the council to sweep roads and for clearing snow,” explains Svein Tore Sæther, chief executive of Graver. “They were also used up at the ski championships this year, clearing snow from car parks. They’re very efficient.”
According to Ove Juel, CNH sales manager for the Nordic and Baltic region, the only other tractors that would qualify as non-polluting are electric, but they don’t deliver the same power.
The drivers like them. They’re responsive, powerful and smooth
Powerful, reliable and sustainable
Graver took possession of its first methane tractor in November 2022, just as winter was setting in, adding three more shortly after. To date, its fleet of four have clocked up more than nine thousand hours of service — saving some 314 tons of CO2 emissions. They have proved virtually trouble-free compared to traditional tractors — the only malfunction to date has been a defective light switch.
“That’s pretty impressive,” says Sæther. “They’re really reliable and we’ve actually been able to use them for longer than the contract stipulates. I think we’re up to 80% of total hours. And the drivers like them. They’re responsive, powerful and smooth.”
The T6 Methane Power was based on the diesel version and its output matches the 175 horsepower of the diesel model. According to Sæther, they cost about the same in terms of fuel-efficiency, service and maintenance. The only differences he can think of are that the methane-driven engine is slightly quieter than a diesel and the tank for the methane is attached to the front of the hood.
Importantly, the tank is big enough to take fuel for a day’s work — on average about seven and a half hours. “We can drive for a full day, but if we need to work a little bit overtime, we have to refill it,” says Sæther.
The T6 Methane Power was based on the diesel version and its output matches the 175 horsepower of the diesel model. According to Sæther, they cost about the same in terms of fuel-efficiency, service and maintenance.
Further improvements
There are fewer refueling stations for methane than diesel fuel and returning to base to top up can mean an hour’s drive. “We could do with more supporting infrastructure and maybe some mobile services — so they come to us,” says Sæther. He adds that more infrastructure is in the pipeline and would-be new suppliers are going through the stringent approvals process to produce, store and supply methane locally.
Reducing emissions across the board
The T6 Methane Power is available globally and CNH has already sold 12 of the methane tractors in Norway, the largest market in the Nordic and Baltic region, according to Juel. Most have been bought by farmers and contractors looking for alternatives to diesel, but with equal power.
Back in Trondheim, for Graver, the methane tractors not only help it meet its contractual obligations with the council, but also help the company meet its own net-zero ambitions.
“We are really focusing on our own emissions too, especially in the cities because of poor air quality. Pollution is a big deal in Norway and so is global warming. The methane tractor helps us reduce our pollution. Other things we are doing include using local materials, dealers and suppliers to cut transportation, and to think smarter. When we build houses, we are using more timber, avoiding plastic and concrete,” explains Sæther. “It’s a more traditional, less harmful way to build.”
This time, the Nordic World Ski Championships were able to go ahead thanks to artificial snow and, in part, to Graver’s efforts clearing the car parks of slush. Curbing vehicle emissions can help curb global warming, and Graver is doing its part.
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