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Retrofit Pilot Project in Sarthe in Partnership with the Pays de la Loire Region
A First in Sarthe: Transdev and the Region Present a Bio‑gas‑Powered Retro‑fitted Aléop Coach
As part of a retrofit pilot project carried out in Sarthe in partnership with the Pays de la Loire Region, Transdev and the Region presented, on Friday 11 April in Sillé‑le‑Guillaume, a diesel coach converted to biogas. The vehicle will be integrated into the Aléop school transport fleet, providing insight into the technical stages of retrofitting and highlighting the joint efforts led with partners CRMT, a pioneering retrofit company, and GRDF, a key player in decarbonisation through green gas, in support of more sustainable transport solutions in the Pays de la Loire region.
“The vehicle involved—an Iveco Crossway Euro VI coach—retains its original comfort and interior space while benefiting from significantly reduced emissions. BioGNV enables an 80% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared with diesel, a 95% reduction in fine particle emissions and a 50% reduction in NOx emissions compared with the Euro VI standard threshold, thereby improving air quality. The vehicle also offers a range of 300 km, well suited to school transport operations.”
BioGNV Retrofit: A Local and Sustainable Solution
BioGNV (Bio Natural Gas for Vehicles) is a renewable energy produced locally from organic waste (agricultural residues, livestock effluents, household waste) via the 62 biomethanation sites in the Pays de la Loire region.
At regional level, biogas production exceeds one terawatt‑hour (TWh) per year, equivalent to the energy consumption of approximately 4,000 buses or coaches. The regional refuelling infrastructure continues to expand, with 25 public stations currently in operation and around 15 more under development.
Combined with retrofitting, BioGNV reduces greenhouse gas emissions and local pollution, limits resource extraction, reduces waste and creates local jobs. It complements electricity for short‑distance travel and meets the needs of longer journeys—such as interurban and school routes—while reducing dependence on imported energy sources.
A Regional Strategy for Decarbonised Transport
As the regional authority responsible for mobility, the Pays de la Loire Region integrates vehicle renewal into each new public transport service delegation contract with operators, adapting technical specifications to promote the use of cleaner vehicles.
Today, the regional interurban and school coach fleet includes 7 electric coaches, 10 hybrid electric/diesel coaches, 120 coaches running on biofuels, and 180 biogas‑powered coaches, half of which are dedicated to school transport. Overall, 34% of the Aléop fleet is already composed of low‑emission vehicles.
In Maine‑et‑Loire (49), new public service delegations provide for the conversion of 80 vehicles to gas or electric power by 2032. On routes serving Mayenne and northern Maine‑et‑Loire, 18 electric retrofitted coaches will be introduced in the coming years.
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