NGVAmerica News Week in Review: March 30, 2015

• The 2015 North American NGV Conference & Expo Underway!
• Alternative Fuel Tax Parity Act to Fix LNG Inequity Introduced in House
• NGVAmerica Sits on NGV Panel at Pennsylvania Energy Industry Event
• NGVAmerica Presents on NGVs at SGA Conference in Charlotte
• Dean Foods to Deploy 64 CNG Vehicles and Clean Energy CNG Station
• Altech-Eco Receives EPA Certification for 2015 Ford 3.7L Engine Family
• Oklahoma Announces Funding for Alternative Fuel Projects
• Peterbilt Launches Medium-Duty CNG Vehicle Platform
• Oregon Waste Hauler Selects McNeilus NGEN CNG Systems and Services
• 99 Cents Only Stores Builds CNG Station in California
• GAIN and American Fueling Systems Partner on Atlanta CNG Station
• Parker Hannifin Expands Tube Fitting Line for CNG Applications
• Xebec to Use High-Efficiency Membranes for Natural Gas Filtration
• Wärtsilä Launches New Series of LNG Carrier Designs

The 2015 North American NGV Conference & Expo Underway!

March 29, 2015

This week, NGVAmerica announced at its Board meeting in Washington, D.C. a variety of improvements, including new show management services, for this year’s upcoming North American NGV Conference & Expo to be held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado, September 15–17.

The conference website, sponsorship information and exhibitor prospectus, as well as an exhibition floor plan, are presently being created in addition to the conference schedule with details on plenary topics and break-out sessions. These materials will be available in the next two weeks.

NGVAmerica has implemented several changes to the conference to provide members with maximum value. A more focused schedule has been designed by shortening the event by a day, while at the same time increasing dedicated exposition time. With a professional show management team in place, expanded efforts are also underway to attract new regional and national participants.

NGVAmerica’s management partner for this year’s event is the CWC Group. CWC is a global leader in world-class event management services, and over the past 18 years has organized more than 600 international energy conferences. Some of their upcoming events include:

• 19th International Conference & Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG 19) — Shanghai, China
• 27th World Gas Conference (WGC 2018) — Washington DC, USA
• 26th World Gas Conference (WGC 2015) — Paris, France

NGVAmerica encourages members, past participants, and all other interested parties to continue to include the 2015 North American NGV Conference & Expo in their plans for this year. NGVAmerica has carefully considered the current environment and believes bringing members, customers and the greater industry together for a focused dialogue is more important than ever.

More announcements will be made soon. For more information, contact Tom Sheehan at 207.925.1136 or tsheehan@www.ngvamerica.org.

 

Alternative Fuel Tax Parity Act to Fix LNG Inequity Introduced in House

March 29, 2015

On Thursday, Rep. Todd Young (R-IN), John Larson (D-CT), Mac Thornberry (R-TX) and Ron Kind (D-WI) introduced the Alternative Fuel Tax Parity Act (H.R. 1665) that corrects the LNG tax disparity. Currently, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is taxed at a rate 70 percent higher than diesel fuel on an energy content basis, working against adoption of natural gas vehicles in the heavy truck market. Resetting the tax rate so that it is based on energy content rather than volume would remove an artificial barrier from the market.

“As we see more and more alternative fuel service stations popping up around my district and the country, it’s important that we ensure inequitable tax rates don’t discourage consumers from adopting alternative fuel vehicles,” said Young. “This bill is an easy way to ensure a level playing field for this burgeoning sector of our economy.”

The Alternative Fuel Tax Parity Act adjusts the excise tax rate for LNG from 24.3 cents per gallon to 14.1 cents per gallon, effectively compensating for the difference in the energy content between the two fuels.

“We are encouraged that critical issues such as fixing the LNG/diesel tax disparity are receiving attention in the new Congress,” said NVAmerica President Matthew Godlewski. “It is a solid signal that we’re getting close to resolving the federal roadblocks that are standing in the way of further accelerating natural gas use in the trucking sector.”

For more information, contact Paul Kerkhoven at 202.824.7363 or pkerkhoven@www.ngvamerica.org, or visit the NGVAmerica website here.

 

NGVAmerica Sits on NGV Panel at Pennsylvania Energy Industry Event

March 29, 2015

NGVAmerica and four of its member companies—Clean Energy, CP Industries, FCA US (Fiat Chrysler) and UPS—participated on an NGV panel at a meeting convened by Speaker of the Pennsylvania House Mike Turzai. Vetrans/Vetaxi also participated on the panel and addressed how the company employs veterans to drive taxis powered by CNG. In addition to Speaker Turzai, there were in attendance a dozen state representatives from western Pennsylvania. The state representatives were seated opposite panelists and engaged in back and forth Q&A sessions following prepared remarks. The event, “Broadening the Energy Industry in Pennsylvania: Downstream Benefits of Natural Gas and Our Economy & Community,” addressed the significant economic opportunities presented by using more low-cost natural gas in Pennsylvania. Given the oil and gas development in the Marcellus region, state lawmakers in Pennsylvania have been exploring a variety of policies related to the industry. The NGV panel addressed steps businesses are taking to expand the market for natural gas as a transportation fuel and also how incentives and state policies are impacting our industry. NGVAmerica’s Jeff Clarke provided an overview of state policies from around the country and discussed the many different ways that states can encourage investments in NGVs.

 

NGVAmerica Presents on NGVs at SGA Conference in Charlotte

March 29, 2015

On Tuesday, NGVAmerica’s Director of Market Development Stephe Yborra addressed attendees of the Sales & Marketing educational program track at the Southern Gas Association’s Spring Gas Conference & Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina. His update covered the impact the eight month oil price decline has had on NGV market development, recent NGV production/sales trends, as well as oil versus gas value propositions for various applications based on U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Information Agency (EIA) pricing data. He also summarized eight areas of local gas company (LDC) NGV market development best practices, highlighting examples of activities involving list development, lead generation and follow-up, communications, advocacy, education, project development, trade ally collaboration and rate design. The 1.5-hour session wrapped up with a spirited Q&A period. For more information on NGVAmerica’s future market development and outreach activities, contact Tom Sheehan at 207.925.1136 or tsheehan@www.ngvamerica.org.

 

Dean Foods to Deploy 64 CNG Vehicles and Clean Energy CNG Station

March 25, 2015

Clean Energy Fuels announced an agreement with Dean Foods, one of the nations’ leading food and beverage companies, to construct a CNG station at its Oak Farms Dairy plant in Houston, Texas. Beginning in the second half of 2015, the station will be used to fuel the CNG vehicles deployed by Dean Foods.

Over the next several months, Dean Foods will introduce 57 CNG Freightliner M2-112 straight trucks and 7 Freightliner Cascadia over-the-road tractors powered by the Cummins ISL-G and ISX12-G engines, respectively, and outfitted with Agility CNG fuel tanks.

“We see the value a cleaner and more cost-effective fuel can provide to our company, our stakeholders and our community,” said Mike Ahart, Vice President, Dean Foods. “We are pleased to add these natural gas vehicles as a component of our ongoing sustainable business practices.”

As part of its overall greenhouse gas reduction goal, Dean Foods set a goal in 2008 to reduce its distribution fleet’s CO2e emissions by 50,000 metric tons by 2013 – a goal surpassed by the end of 2010. The goal was revised in 2012 to reduce distribution emissions 95,000 metric tons by 2020.

Station construction is scheduled to be completed by the second half of the year. The facility will be engineered with the ability to expand to accommodate fueling a fleet of 120 CNG commercial vehicles.

A grant covering a portion of the vehicle costs has been provided to Dean Foods under the Texas Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program (TNGVGP), funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ). Through this voluntary grant program, monies are provided to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by replacing older diesel engines with cleaner-burning natural gas engines.

For more information, contact Patric Rayburn at 949.437.1411 or patric.rayburn@cleanenergyfuels.com.

 

Altech-Eco Receives EPA Certification for 2015 Ford 3.7L Engine Family

March 26, 2015

Altech-Eco Corporation announced that they have received EPA certification for the new 2015 Ford CNG Transit 150/250/350 3.7L Full-Size Van & Wagon with the Ford gaseous prepped engine option. The Altech-Eco CNG system for the Ford Transit is Ford QVM approved and is available as a bi-fuel or dedicated system. Using an Altech-Eco CNG System insures the original Ford Engine and Powertrain Limited Warranty remains intact.

Altech-Eco’s integrated systems are designed in collaboration with a Ford approved QCM (Qualified Calibration Modifier) for real-fleet applications. Also available from Altech-Eco for the 2015 model year is the Ford CNG Transit Connect 2.5L, Ford CNG F-250/350 6.2L, and Lincoln MKT 3.7L.

Altech-Eco is a Ford QVM gaseous fuel developer and installer and is dedicated to the continued development of CNG conversion systems for the Ford product line. For more information, contact Miles George at 828.654.8300 x107 or miles@transecoenergy.com.

 

Oklahoma Announces Funding for Alternative Fuel Projects

March 29, 2015

The Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) Board of Directors has approved grant funding awards for public-sector fleet alternative fuel vehicle deployment and fueling infrastructure projects. Awarded applicants include the City of Norman, City of Yukon, City of Oklahoma City, University of Oklahoma, and City of Midwest City. Projects include the purchase of light and heavy-duty CNG vehicles, both fast-fill and time-fill CNG fueling infrastructure, and other alt fuel projects.

The $584,000 in total award funding goes toward the incremental cost of alternative fuel vehicles and/or fueling station equipment costs. Total project costs for all applicants are estimated at $1.6 million.

“These public fleets are making substantial investments that will lead to lower fuel costs, greater energy independence, improved air quality, and an economic impact on our region,” said John G. Johnson, Executive Director of ACOG. “In the case of CNG, for example, we have Oklahoma companies leading different parts of the industry from well to wheel.”

Projects are scored in a completive grant process and are scored based on emissions reductions through replacement of older high-mileage vehicles with new alternative fuel vehicles or new alternative fueling infrastructure.

The ACOG Public Fleet Clean Air Grant program is funded through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program which provides a flexible funding source for state and local governments to fund transportation projects and programs to help meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and its amendments.

For more information, please contact Eric Pollard, Central Oklahoma Clean Cities Coordinator, (405) 234-2264.

 

Peterbilt Launches Medium-Duty CNG Vehicle Platform

March 25, 2015

Peterbilt Motors Company introduced two new medium-duty vehicles powered by CNG during the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS): the Model 337 and the Model 348. Both vehicles are now in production and can be configured as trucks or tractors. Peterbilt says the vehicles are an ideal choice for dump, refuse and short- and regional-haul operations.

According to Scott Newhouse, Peterbilt Chief Engineer, the new medium-duty models are optimized for this configuration with 110-inch BBCs. “The CNG Models 337 and 348 give Peterbilt the industry’s most competitive portfolio of natural-gas vehicles,” Newhouse said. “The dimensions provide a BBC two inches shorter than any competitive model and a cab height that is 2.5 inches lower.”

Newhouse said the optimized spec, including steering geometry that provides up to a 50 degree turning angle, provides improved maneuverability in congested city and jobsite operations. Both the Models 348 and 337 are powered by the Cummins Westport ISL-G with 320 horsepower and 1,000 lb.-ft. of torque.

Peterbilt displayed a CNG-powered Model 337 in its exhibit at the MATS show. For more information, contact Derek Smith at 940.591.4285 derek.smith@paccar.com.

 

Oregon Waste Hauler Selects McNeilus NGEN CNG Systems and Services

March 24, 2015

McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing, an Oshkosh Corporation company, announced that Pride Disposal of Portland, Oregon, has selected the NGEN CNG system by McNeilus for its newest fleet of roll-off trucks.

“We’re a company that is always looking to the future, and we decided to start running some of our trucks on CNG primarily because of fuel cost and the savings CNG delivers,” said Pride Disposal Fleet Manager, Bill Woody.

McNeilus has more than 5,000 NGEN CNG vehicles on the road from coast to coast. McNeilus NGEN systems are now available on a wider range of vehicle types including construction, delivery, over-the-road, and other severe-duty fleets. NGEN CNG Systems and Services are available new vehicles and retrofits through the company’s national network of regional installation centers.

McNeilus NGEN CNG-powered trucks use an exclusive fuel management module that reduces the number of fittings and increases reliability, while the fuel storage pods feature lightweight DOT Type 4 tanks.

Pride Disposal was one of the first haulers in its region to fully automate solid waste collection. The company owns and maintains a fleet of 40 trucks, and began shifting to CNG in 2010. “Cleaner engines and exhaust systems, and reduced maintenance needs are other benefits we experience with the shift to CNG,” said Woody.

 

99 Cents Only Stores Builds CNG Station in California

March 23, 2015

99 Cents Only Stores announced the opening of its onsite CNG filling station at the company’s main distribution center, which is located in the City of Commerce, California. This is the final step in the company’s plan in adopting natural gas to their private fleet operation.

Over the past 18 months, 75 percent of the company’s fleet was converted from diesel to CNG. The 53 CNG trucks the company operates will drive approximately 3.7 million miles. “Fifty-three of our trucks have converted to CNG making us the largest private retail Class 8 CNG fleet in California,” states David Townsend, Director of Transportation.

For more information, contact Maider Izeta at 323.595.9849 or maider.izeta@99only.com.

 

GAIN and American Fueling Systems Partner on Atlanta CNG Station

March 26, 2015

GAIN Clean Fuel is partnering with CNG provider American Fueling Systems (AFS) to add dispensing capabilities to AFS’ existing CNG site in Atlanta, Georgia. The service will begin in early May, and will be incorporated into GAIN Clean Fuel’s North American network of CNG stations.

This AFS CNG station has been operational since 2012, and it remains the largest public access CNG station in the state of Georgia. Similar to GAIN Clean Fuel stations, all AFS stations provide fast-fill fueling and accept fleet cards for truck convenience. They are open for use by other fleets and the general public.

The partnership also enables AFS to leverage GAIN Clean Fuel’s CNG stations for use with its partner carriers. In return, GAIN will benefit from AFS’s presence as a regionally trusted leader in the alternative fuel market.

In addition to saving on fuel costs and reducing emissions, fleet owners in Georgia will soon be able to take advantage of tax credits provided by House Bill 348, passed in 2014 by the Georgia state legislature. The bill takes effect in July and provides $12,000–$20,000 per vehicle in tax credits for fleet owners converting medium and heavy duty vehicles to operate on natural gas.

In preparation for this bill going into effect, AFS is hosting six tax credit education seminars starting in April. The seminars are free and will provide fleet operators, owners and managers with a better understanding of how to take advantage of them. Pre-registration for the two-hour events are required.

For more information and for presentation dates and registration instructions, contact AFS’ Director of Business Development, Joey Kline, at 404.579.5723 or jkline@americanfuelingsystems.com, or visit www.americanfuelingsystems.com.

 

Parker Hannifin Expands Tube Fitting Line for CNG Applications

March 25, 2015

The Tube Fittings Division (TFD) of Parker Hannifin Corporation recently expanded its Seal-Lok O-ring face seal tube fitting line. Seal-Lok products use an elastomeric seal compound designed to address the needs of the CNG market. The compound improves ozone resistance and supports wider temperature range requirements. It’s also fully certified—NGV 3.1, ECER110 and ISO 15500 for on-vehicle CNG applications.

Available in tube and hose sizes ranging from ¼” to ¾” (6 mm to 20 mm), Seal-Lok technology enhances the performance and reliability of O-Ring face seal SAE J1453 connections. The technology makes Seal-Lok for CNG well suited for high-vibration, on-vehicle applications where metal-to-metal sealing falters.

For more information, contact Parker Hannifin at 614.279.7070 or visit www.parker.com.

 

Xebec to Use High-Efficiency Membranes for Natural Gas Filtration

March 29, 2015

Xebec Adsorption announced that, effective immediately, it will be integrating high efficiency membranes into its gas purification and separation solutions. Xebec has historically been offering gas purification and conditioning solutions solely based on adsorption technology. After an in-depth evaluation of membrane technologies, Xebec will now offer standalone membrane solutions, as well as hybrid (membrane and adsorption) solutions, which are able to achieve recovery rates and purity levels greater than when using adsorption technology alone.

For biogas upgrading applications, Xebec membrane systems will achieve recovery rates of up to 99.8 percent, while meeting stringent product gas specifications. For biogas or landfill gas applications containing nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2), Xebec offers advanced fast cycle kinetic pressure swing adsorption (kPSA) solutions that can handle nitrogen levels of up to 30 percent with strong recovery rates.

For more information, contact Xebec at 832.532.8741 or sales@xebecinc.com.

 

Wärtsilä Launches New Series of LNG Carrier Designs

March 23, 2015

Wärtsilä has introduced a new series of LNG Carrier ship designs for the marine industry. This series of designs is the latest addition to Wärtsilä’s ship design portfolio and is an important part of the company’s strategic program under the theme “Taking Merchant Shipping into the Gas Age.”

The series comprises four vessel designs—the WSD59 3K, WSD59 6.5K, WSD55 12K and WSD50 20K—all of which have been developed in close cooperation with customers to produce vessels that are appropriate for the global LNG infrastructure and applicable for both ocean going and inland water operations. In each case, fuel economy, performance guarantees, optional versions to meet specific needs, and the flexibility to choose particular features and solutions have been emphasized.

The new designs have been developed at the Wärtsilä Ship Design offices in China and Poland. The designs were featured at the CMA Shipping conference and exhibition held March 23–25 in Stamford, Connecticut.