NGVAmerica News Week in Review: April 11, 2016

• CNG from Sea to Shining Sea Road Rally
• NGVAmerica to Lead Capitol Hill Lobbying Days
• Penske Supports New York Fleet’s Transition to CNG Trucks
• Ariel Compressors Tapped for UPS’ $100M Natural Gas Vehicle Project
• Sparq Natural Gas Breaks Ground on CNG Station in Colorado
• Renewable Natural Gas Fuel Project Receives Approval in Vermont
• Cruise Line Signs Letter of Intent for Construction of Four LNG Ships

CNG from Sea to Shining Sea Road Rally

April 10, 2016

NGVAmerica and the American Public Gas Association (APGA) they are the presenting sponsors of the “CNG from Sea to Shining Sea Road Rally,” a cross-country road rally run entirely on natural gas to be held May 30 to June 10, 2016. The mission of the rally is to inform and educate the American public to the benefits of natural gas vehicles and the natural gas fueling infrastructure through all local, state, and national media outlets. The vision of this rally is to demonstrate that NGVs can travel across the nation and that there are adequate refueling stations to make this trip a reality.

Organized by Pat Riley, General Manager, Gibson County Tennessee Utility District, the Rally will start in Long Beach, CA and end in Washington D.C. The rally will feature 13 scheduled media stops in the following cities: Long Beach, CA; Mesa, AZ; Albuquerque, NM; Oklahoma City, OK; Little Rock, AR; Memphis, TN; Trenton, TN; Dickson, TN; Sevierville, TN; Rock Hill, SC; Greenville, NC; Richmond, VA; and Washington, DC.

APGA and NGVAmerica are encouraging all to participate in this rally by joining with a vehicle, attending one or more media stops, or becoming a sponsor to support the increased visibility of natural gas as an important and viable alternative fuel for vehicles. Sponsorship opportunities are available for $500, which includes the company name and logo on a line banner or pop up banner that will be prominently displayed on or near the stage for the media to see during the ceremonies or interviews. These banners will be placed at every media stop along the rally.

If you are interested in supporting this nationwide rally by being a sponsor, contact Sheila Deringis at APGA atsderingis@apga.org. For more information, contact Pat Riley at pat@gcud.net.

NGVAmerica to Lead Capitol Hill Lobbying Days

April 11, 2016

NGVAmerica has organized its annual Capitol Hill Lobbying Days on Monday and Tuesday, May 23 – 24, 2016. Educating elected officials about the environmental and economic benefits of NGVs is an important component of NGVAmerica’s Federal Government Advocacy program.  All NGVAmerica members are invited and encouraged to attend and participate.

This year’s event has been coordinated with the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas.  Both of organizations will meet with Members of Congress and key staff to advance the goal of using more natural gas in transportation.

Activities will start on the evening of Monday, May 23 with a joint reception. On Tuesday, May 24, both groups will meet at 8:00 a.m. for a continental breakfast and brief orientation at NGVAmerica’s headquarters. Each delegation will then disperse and go to their meetings on Capitol Hill with relevant Members and Staff (9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.).

Immediately following the Hill visits, NGVAmerica and the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas have secured a LIMITED number of tickets to watch the Washington Nationals take on the New York Mets.  We will reconvene at the ballpark after 5:30 p.m.

Please contact Paul Kerkhoven at pkerkhoven@www.ngvamerica.org with questions and to RSVP with your attendance.  Modest sponsorship opportunities also exist.

Penske Supports New York Fleet’s Transition to CNG Trucks

April 5, 2016

Penske and Emerald Brand, a maker of daily-use disposable products, announced Emerald is introducing several Penske Truck Leasing CNG fueled trucks into its fleet in Syosset, New York. Emerald’s fleet will transition to CNG this month, furthering Emerald’s mission of global conservation and mainstreaming sustainability.

Each year, Emerald drivers deliver thousands of tons of its alternatively sourced, sustainable products to clients around the country. This conversion will greatly reduce the company’s environmental footprint by lessening the amount of gas emissions released into the air as compared to traditional diesel fueled vehicles.

“We are always striving to discover new ways to help the environment and reduce our footprint, and the conversion to CNG fueled trucks was the next sustainable step for our company to help deliver our products to clients in the most environmentally friendly way possible,” said Emerald Brand Managing Director, Jaclyn McDuffey.

Emerald’s CNG trucks will begin full operation this month with plans to refuel at local Clean Energy CNG stations.

Ariel Compressors Tapped for UPS’ $100M Natural Gas Vehicle Project

April 6, 2016

Ariel Corporation, a manufacturer of gas compressors, announced plans to build an additional 12 CNG fueling stations for UPS as part of its recent announcement to invest $100 million in natural gas vehicle projects. As part of the investment, UPS plans to add 380 new CNG tractors to its growing alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet. The 12 CNG stations will feature Ohio-made Ariel gas compressors packaged by ANGI Energy Systems. The units will be installed by TruStar Energy.

“TruStar Energy is proud to use Ariel compressors exclusively for our station designs requiring 100 HP units or higher,” said Jeffry Swertfeger, Director of Marketing, TruStar Energy. “Our customers and TruStar Energy’s reputation rely on the quality of American-made Ariel compressors.”

Ariel Corporation offers separable reciprocating compressors engineered specifically for CNG. Ariel CNG compressors now feature ultra-low emission packings, which are used to reduce fugitive emissions at CNG stations.

Sparq Natural Gas Breaks Ground on CNG Station in Colorado

April 8, 2016

Sparq Natural Gas has broken ground on a new CNG station in the Town of Eaton (Weld County), Colorado. A CNG Ground Breaking Ceremony was held on Wednesday, April 6. The station will feature the GE CNG Station in a Box Version 2.0 and will be paired with a Bauer compressor.

The station is conveniently located off Highway 85, an important CNG corridor in the area. Sparq expects the station to open by mid-June, with a formal opening ceremony in early July.

Renewable Natural Gas Fuel Project Receives Approval in Vermont

April 8, 2016

The Vermont Public Service Board authorized the construction and operation of a renewable natural gas (RNG) facility on a farm in Salisbury, Vermont. The Project will produce pipeline-grade natural gas for sale to Middlebury College and Vermont Gas Systems (VGS).

Located on the Goodrich family dairy farm in Salisbury, the facility will include an anaerobic digester tank system to produce biogas, and gas upgrade and purification equipment to refine the biogas into the finished product. The renewable natural gas will be delivered to the “gas island” in Middlebury that provides natural gas to Middlebury College, with future injection into the underground distribution system operated by VGS.

Middlebury College expects to use 75 percent of the Project’s output towards achieving the College’s
carbon neutrality and campus sustainability objectives. VGS will buy some or all of the
remaining output. The Project’s developer, Lincoln Renewable Natural Gas, is also exploring the potential for using the RNG product as an alternative vehicle fuel.

Cruise Line Signs Letter of Intent for Construction of Four LNG Ships

April 6, 2016

MSC Cruises, a privately-owned Swiss-based cruise line, announced that it has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with STX France for the construction of up to four new LNG-powered cruise. The four ships, the first one of which will be delivered in 2022, will be based on a next-generation prototype and will form what will be known as the “World Class” of MSC Cruises’ ships.

MSC Cruises is the first cruise line brand to develop an investment plan of this length and magnitude, spanning more than ten years—from 2014 through 2026—and introducing a total of up to eleven next-generation ships. The new orders would reflect an additional investment of nearly $4.5 billion, which will bring the total value of the Company’s 10-plus years investment plan to nearly $10.2 billion.

The four ships provided under the LOI – two firm orders and two further options – will be delivered in 2022, 2024, 2025 and in 2026. They will feature a GRT in excess of 200,000 tons, more than 2,700 staterooms and approximately 5,400 lower berths occupancy capacity.