With the completion of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) truck fueling station in Matthews MO recently, Clean Energy Fuels Corp (Nasdaq: CLNE) concludes the first stage of America’s Natural Gas Highway (ANGH). This network of LNG truck fueling stations supports long-haul, heavy-duty goods movement along major Interstate corridors in the United States.
By the end of 2012, Clean Energy will have completed 70 new LNG truck fuel stations along highways that link major US metropolitan areas. Many of these stations are at Pilot Flying J truckstops. In 2013, Clean Energy plans to build 70 to 80 additional LNG fuel stations adjacent to long-haul trucking routes and around major warehouse distribution centers in North America. Major highway segments now completed include those linking the Southwest Corridor, Los Angeles CA to Atlanta GA; The Texas Triangle, Atlanta to Chicago IL to Texas; and major corridors in the Midwest and Northeast.
Clean Energy said an iPhone app station locator will be available by the end of the year to complement its web-based locator at www.cnglngstations.com.
The LNG fueling stations coincide with the arrival of new natural gas truck engines well-suited for heavy-duty, over-the-road trucking. At the recent American Trucking Associations Summit on Natural Gas in Trucking, executives from engine manufacturers and original equipment truck manufacturers such as Cummins-Westport, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Navistar, Freightliner, and Volvo presented their plans to roll out a variety of Class-8 trucks and engine sizes allowing for varied road and driving requirements. Jim Arthurs, president of Cummins Westport Inc, reiterated the scheduled launch of the ISX 12 G natural gas engine to begin in spring 2013 with full production and delivery by autumn 2013.
Clean Energy’s ANGH stations are in addition to the ongoing CNG station building planned for the company’s traditional markets in transit, refuse, airport/taxi/shuttle, and local/regional trucking. This activity accounts for 60 station projects in 2012 and is expected to account for about the same number in 2013.
Priced up to $1.50 a gallon lower than gasoline or diesel depending on local markets, the use of natural gas fuel reduces operating costs for vehicles and reduces greenhouse gas emissions up to 30% in light-duty vehicles and 23% in medium to heavy-duty vehicles. The US Department of Energy reports that 98% of the natural gas consumed in the nation is sourced in the United States and Canada.
For more information, visit www.cleanenergyfuels.com.
