Clean Energy to Increase CNG Station Capacity, Opens Two New Stations

This week, Clean Energy made announcements about new stations and station expansions.

In trucking: Clean Energy announced plans to double Saddle Creek’s existing CNG station capacity in Lakeland, Florida, with two additional 300 HP compressors and 55 additional time-fill hoses. Saddle Creek plans to add 25 heavy duty CNG Freightliner 12L Cascadia tractors to its existing fleet of 150 vehicles to meet increased customer demand for natural gas logistics services. The additional vehicles are forecasted to consume approximately 400,000 DGEs of CNG annually and are scheduled to be deployed in October 2014 once the station capacity has been increased. Clean Energy will continue to operate and maintain the station, which it initially built for Saddle Creek in 2011. “Our fleet currently has over 24 million miles using natural gas,” said Michael DelBovo, president, Saddle Creek Transportation. “Our customers recognize the importance of sustainability in their supply chain and the value in moving goods with natural gas. We are expanding our fueling capacity to meet this rising demand.”

In ready-mix: Schwarz Ready Mix has contracted with Clean Energy to build a private CNG fueling station. A fleet of 16 heavy-duty day cab tractors are scheduled to replace old diesel trucks and begin fueling once the station is completed, which is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2014. Fourteen CNG ready-mix concrete trucks are expected to be added shortly thereafter as Schwarz continues to replace its old diesel fleet with natural gas trucks. The station will use a General Electric “CNG in a Box” system, 20 time-fill fueling points and one fast-fueling point. Once fully-deployed, the fleet is forecasted to consume approximately 828,000 DGEs of CNG annually.

In transit: Paratransit Inc., of Sacramento, California, is converting its fleet to run on CNG and has signed a fueling and station construction, operation and maintenance agreements with Clean Energy. Paratransit is the second-largest paratransit provider in California, and approximately 60 Ford E-350 and E-450 paratransit CNG buses are anticipated to begin fueling once the station is operational in the second quarter of 2015. Paratransit intends to transition its entire fleet of 180 vehicles to natural gas. The station will be open to the public and will feature two fast-fueling dispensers with four fueling points. Once fully-deployed, this fleet is forecasted to consume approximately 1,000,000 GGEs of CNG each year. In addition, Kings County Area Public Transit Agency, which operates in the Seattle, Washington-area, has signed a multi-year repair and maintenance agreement. Clean Energy will be responsible for the repair and maintenance of Kings County’s private CNG fueling station.

In airports: Clean Energy has opened the third public CNG station serving Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and the surrounding community. Clean Energy built and will operate the public CNG station for Aviation CNG, L.L.C., located in Englewood, California. The station features four fast-fueling dispensers with eight fueling points and will help meet the continued growth in CNG demand in Los Angeles. Collectively, the three stations serving LAX and the surrounding area are the highest volume CNG stations in Clean Energy’s nationwide network.

Finally, Clean Energy has opened two America’s Natural Gas Highway stations to begin fulfilling previously announced LNG fueling agreements. Raven Transport has begun fueling at the Walton, Kentucky, station, and NFI hauling for Lowe’s has begun fueling at the Sulphur Springs, Texas, station.