NGVAmerica News Week in Review: September 19, 2016

• Join NGVAmerica President Matthew Godlewski, Industry Leaders for Special NGV Webinar
• NGVAmerica Publishes White Paper on Environmental Benefits of NGVs
• FedEx Freight Invests in CNG Fueling at Oklahoma City Service Center
• New CNG Buses for British Columbia Transit Agency
• California Funds Development of Natural Gas Engines and Infrastructure
• Quantum Receives DOT Permit for VP-650 Virtual Pipeline Trailer
• Port Townsend Paper Begins First Stage of CNG Conversion at Washington Paper Mill
• Kooiman Develops LNG-Powered Inland Vessel

 

Join NGVAmerica President Matthew Godlewski, Industry Leaders for Special NGV Webinar

September 19, 2016

On Monday, September 19, at 12:00 noon ET, Transport Topics will broadcast a special LiveOnWeb titled “Transporting the Nation’s Freight Bill on a Natural Gas Diet.”  NGVAmerica President Matthew Godlewski will be participating in the webinar to discuss the significant advancements that have been made in recent years to further the strong value proposition of natural gas as a transportation fuel.  He will be joining industry pioneer T. Boone Pickens and FedEx Chairman, President & CEO, Fred Smith for a one-hour session to promote the variety of benefits of heavy-duty natural gas vehicles.

The webinar is sponsored by Transport Topics and is being hosted by Chris Spear, the new President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations (ATA).  It is designed to promote a longer NGV educational session that will take place next month at the ATA Management Conference in Las Vegas. The webinar is a unique opportunity to

The webinar will be broadcast on the Transport Topics website (http://liveonweb.ttnews.com/) at 12:00 noon ET on Monday, September 19, 2016.

 

NGVAmerica Publishes White Paper on Environmental Benefits of NGVs

September 12, 2016

NGVAmerica’s Emissions and Environmental Working Group has completed a white paper and infographic highlighting the benefits for fleets using natural gas as a transportation fuel, Fleets Run Cleaner on Natural Gas. The goal of the working group was to provide an NGV industry supported consensus document on the benefits of switching to natural gas.

The infographic provides high level environmental benefits, while the white paper goes into more detail and provides definitions, assumptions and sources for our results.  NGVAmerica hopes that these documents serve as a source for its members and the industry at large when discussing the benefits of using natural gas vehicles.

The white paper and infographic are available on the NGVAmerica website. For more information, contact NGVAmerica Director, Technology & Development Dan Bowerson at dbowerson@www.ngvamerica.org or 202.824.7084.

 

FedEx Freight Invests in CNG Fueling at Oklahoma City Service Center

September 13, 2016

FedEx Freight, a leading U.S. provider of LTL freight services, has purchased more than 100 CNG tractors and has installed a CNG fueling station to serve the new CNG fleet at its Oklahoma City Service Center. FedEx Freight contracted with Clean Energy Fuels to design, build and maintain the fueling station.

The CNG fueling station in Oklahoma City includes a four-lane fast-fill station as well as a time-fill station with 18 hoses. The fueling station is estimated to dispense approximately 2.5 million GGEs per year.

“The use of natural gas by FedEx Freight is a natural extension of our corporate-wide efforts to provide sustainable solutions that benefit the customers and communities we serve,” said Mitch Jackson, vice president of Environmental Affairs and Sustainability, FedEx Corp. “Across the FedEx enterprise, we continuously look for ways to maximize our efficiency while advancing our commitment to connect the world in responsible and resourceful ways.”

The station will be showcased at a ribbon cutting ceremony October 11 by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, FedEx chairman and CEO Frederick W. Smith, Clean Energy co-founder and energy magnate T. Boone Pickens, and Clean Energy President and CEO Andrew Littlefair.

 

New CNG Buses for British Columbia Transit Agency

September 14, 2016

Kamloops Transit in British Columbia, Canada, has received approval from city council after a successful pilot that showed the alternative fuel buses perform well in all four seasons while creating significant savings in operating costs.

Following the construction of a fast-fill fueling station, 25 CNG buses have been in operation for over a year and another 19 will begin arriving in early 2017 to replace the remaining diesel buses—making Kamloops a transit community powered entirely by CNG.

“The results from the CNG pilot programs in Kamloops and Nanaimo have been a resounding success,” said Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Not only are these buses a cleaner-burning fuel alternative that benefits our environment and furthers the Province’s action plan to reduce emissions, but they’ve proven to be more cost-effective than their diesel counterparts. This is a win-win investment with positive impacts for the long-term.”

This investment is part of the recently established Public Transit Infrastructure Fund that is providing BC Transit-served communities with almost $160 million in federal and provincial funding for transit improvement projects throughout the province. The City of Kamloops is projecting a savings of approximately $290,000 in operating costs for 2017 as a result of the 19 new CNG buses.

The investments in new buses and enhanced technology represent the first phase of the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. BC Transit will continue to work with local governments to identify priority projects for the second phase of the federal-provincial funding.

 

California Funds Development of Natural Gas Engines and Infrastructure

September 15, 2016

The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a $1 million grant to develop a 12L natural gas engine that produces near-zero nitrogen oxide (NOx) tailpipe emissions that would be suitable for heavy-duty vehicles.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) will work with Cummins Westport to develop the engine. Cummins has a history of developing natural gas engines for heavy-duty application, and its engines are being used globally in a variety of commercial vehicles.

The grant focuses on existing engine research and consists of engine development and on-road vehicle demonstration. The engine will offer fleets an option for larger vehicles, such as drayage trucks equipped with natural gas near zero technology. Drayage trucks are used to haul cargo containers from ocean ports to distribution centers and rail yards.

The development of the natural gas engine will help meet California Air Resources Board 2010 emissions standards and support efforts to improve air quality in the South Coast and San Joaquin Valley air basins.

According to the Air Resources Board’s Sustainable Freight Action Plan, transportation—and heavy-duty vehicles in particular—play an important role in achieving California’s emission reduction goals. Additionally, these near-zero engines, when fueled with California-produced renewable natural gas (RNG), become a near-term and viable solution for greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts.

The Energy Commission also approved a $500,000 grant for the Fullerton Joint Union High School District to upgrade its existing CNG fueling infrastructure in La Habra, California. The upgrade includes improvements and expansion to a fleet refueling system and the addition of a fast-fill dispenser for public use.

The upgrades will allow the Fullerton school district to retire older diesel and gasoline burning vehicles in their bus and service vehicle fleet. The upgrades will allow the district to meet its projected CNG needs over the next 10 years.

 

Quantum Receives DOT Permit for VP-650 Virtual Pipeline Trailer

September 14, 2016

Quantum Fuel Systems has received a special permit from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for its new VP-650 virtual pipeline trailer with approximately 650,000 Standard Cubic Feet (SCF). The trailer is available for immediate sale and deliveries are expected to begin over the next 30 days.

The VP-650 virtual pipeline trailer uses Quantum’s Q-Lite CNG storage cylinders and is capable of storing gas at up to 5,000 psi service pressure. The trailer design and integration will house other unique features, including push button shut-offs, independent lock-off features, and other technology to ensure a full fill is achieved.

Quantum’s VP-650 is mounted in a 45′ hi-cube shipping container and has also been designed for sea transport. Short to medium distance shipping of CNG can be much more cost effective than shipping LNG and other clean fuels.

 

Port Townsend Paper Begins First Stage of CNG Conversion at Washington Paper Mill

September 13, 2016

Port Townsend Paper recently brought the first stage of a three-stage plan to convert its main fossil fuel source from oil to CNG online, in order to achieve cleaner air emissions and reduced fuel costs. The natural gas conversion represents a $3.1 million investment.

When all three stages of the conversion are online in 2016, the conversion is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 25 percent from its current level. This reduction would continue a decade-long trend during which Port Townsend Paper reduced its greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels by nearly 60 percent. The mill also expects the conversion to make it more competitive by increasing the efficiency of its boiler, and significantly reducing its fuel cost over time.

 

Kooiman Develops LNG-Powered Inland Vessel

September 12, 2016

Kooiman Marine Group has developed a push boat with an LNG duel fuel propulsion system. The design of the push boat is fully CCNR (Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine), ADN and Lloyds Register approved.

The newly designed push boat has four Wärtsilä 6L20 Dual Fuel engines plus a DF auxiliary engine. The main engines have a double-walled gas fuel system to ensure a hazardous free engine room arrangement, and the four propulsion lines concept with shaft generators combined with batteries to store a surplus of power whilst sailing upstream enable a downstream trip on only two engines using the stored power for ship’s systems.

 

Cepsa to Supply LNG to Ships in the First European Multi-Product Barge

September 16, 2016

Cepsa announced it will supply LNG to ships through the first multi-product barge in Europe. The supply ship will be able to provide all types of marine fuels, from traditional fuels to LNG. Using the most advanced technology, Cepsa will participate in the design and construction of the ship alongside its strategic business partner, Flota Suardíaz.

The project forms part of the ‘Core LNGas Hive’ initiative, selected by the European Commission, whose objective is to develop an LNG logistics network to promote the use of the gas as a fuel for transport, especially in the marine environment. The project is led by the country’s ports and coordinated by Enagas, and has 42 partners in Spain and Portugal, among them Cepsa. ‘Core LNGas Hive’ aims to lower carbon emissions in the Mediterranean and Atlantic and to promote clean energies for transport and care for the environment through the European Union.

The first barge will start operations in 2018 from the port of Barcelona. The Company will become the first supplier of this fuel ship-to-ship through a multi-product barge in Spain, and Barcelona will become the first port in southern Europe to offer it. A landmark for the Company and the Port that strengthens the position of both nationally and in Europe.