Environmental Record: DHL - Wikipedia
Environmental Record: DHL - Wikipedia
DHL - Wikipedia
Environmental record
DHL has taken measures to control their environmental effect by use of alternative fuel vehicles.
DHL changed vehicles in certain delivery fleets in order to use alternative fuels. Certain new vehicles
use compressed natural gas, to which DHL hopes to convert 50% of their vehicles in the future.[31]
Compressed natural gas is a fuel that can be used in place of petrol (gasoline), diesel fuel,
and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). CNG combustion produces fewer undesirable gases than the
aforementioned fuels. In comparison to other fuels, natural gas poses less of a threat in the event of
a spill, because it is lighter than air and disperses quickly when released. Biomethane —
refined biogas from anaerobic digestion or landfills — can be used.
CNG is made by compressing natural gas, which is mainly composed of methane (CH4), to less than
1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard
containers at a pressure of 20–25 MPa (2,900–3,600 psi), usually in cylindrical or spherical shapes.
CNG is used in traditional petrol/internal combustion engine automobiles that have been modified, or
in vehicles specifically manufactured for CNG use: either alone (dedicated), with a segregated petrol
system to extend range (dual fuel), or in conjunction with another fuel such as diesel (bi-fuel).
In response to high fuel prices and environmental concerns, CNG is starting to be used also in Auto-
Rickshaws, pickup trucks, transit and school buses, and trains.
The cost and placement of fuel storage containers is the major barrier to wider/quicker adoption of
CNG as a fuel. It is also why municipal government, public transportation vehicles were the most
visible early adopters of it, as they can more quickly amortize the money invested in the new (and
usually cheaper) fuel. In spite of these circumstances, the number of vehicles in the world using
CNG has grown steadily (30 percent per year).[1] Now, as a result of the industry's steady growth, the
cost of such fuel storage cylinders has been brought down to a much more acceptable level.
Especially for the CNG Type 1 and Type 2 cylinders, many countries are able to make reliable and
cost effective cylinders for conversion need.[2]
CNG's volumetric energy density is estimated at 42 % of that of liquefied natural gas, because it is
not liquefied, and at 25 percent of that of diesel fuel.[3]
Advantages[edit]
A CNG-powered bus being refueled in Madrid, Spain.
On 16 September 2005, DHL won a High Court injunction establishing an exclusion zone around
each of its 288 buildings in the UK as well as the homes of its 18,000 UK employees. The firm has
been the subject of a campaign of intimidation because of their business with Huntingdon Life
Sciences. The judge banned protesters from coming within 50 yards (46 m) of any DHL premises or
the homes of their employees as well as any organized demonstration within 100 yards (91 m)
unless the police had been given four hours' notice. The injunction also protects anyone doing
business with DHL from intimidation.[32]