NGVAmerica News Week in Review: February 13, 2017
- Clean Energy to Fuel Fleet of Trucks Equipped with New ISL G Zero NOx Engines
- NGV 6.1 CNG Standard Call for Proposals Deadline Approaching
- Trillium CNG to Build CNG Locations for Miami-Dade County’s DOT
- Omnitek Engineering to Develop Off-Road Natural Gas Engine
- Clean Energy Signs Multiple Agreements, to Construct New Stations
- Trillium to Build New CNG Station for Colorado Fleets
- Worthington Industries Introduces Multiple Element Gas Container
- Westport and Volvo Car Expand V90 Bi-Fuel into Belgium and Luxembourg
Clean Energy to Fuel Fleet of Trucks Equipped with New ISL G Zero NOx Engines
February 9, 2017
Clean Energy Fuels has signed a fueling agreement with Mountain Valley Express, an express shipping company based out of Manteca, California, that has purchased nine heavy duty trucks equipped with the new CWI 9L ISL G Zero NOx natural gas engine. The fueling agreement will allow Mountain Valley to use Clean Energy’s Redeem brand of RNG fuel for the new trucks.
“At Mountain Valley Express our motto is “Go Green”, and I can think of no better way to demonstrate our commitment to the environment and reducing our footprint, than by having these trucks use Redeem,” said James Scott Blevins, President and CEO of MVE.
The new engines reduce smog forming NOx emissions by 90 percent over the current EPA standard, and when combined with Redeem, have 70 percent fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than diesel trucks.
NGV 6.1 CNG Standard Call for Proposals Deadline Approaching
February 13, 2017
At the 2014 Clean Vehicle Education Foundation Critical Issues workshop, participants indicated that industry is lacking an up to date “Best Practices Document” regarding the design, installation, testing, and maintenance for CNG fuel storage and delivery systems. Although the existing installation codes provide good minimum safety requirements, the industry representatives at the workshop felt a more comprehensive document would benefit industry.
To meet this need, in September 2016, CSA Group published a binational recommended practice, CSA NGV 6.1 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fuel storage and delivery systems for road vehicles, for the North American natural gas vehicle industry. NGV 6.1 provides a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) design approach with guidance and performance based design requirements for CNG fuel storage and delivery systems for road vehicles. In the news release, it was noted that future editions of the binational document will transition to a national standard and may expand coverage to address LNG fuel storage and delivery systems. The CSA NGV 6.1 Recommended Practice was made available for purchase in English in PDF format on September 30, 2016.
The current CSA NGV 6.1 is being opened for revision and processing as a national standard. Forms for submitting proposals are available in the CSA Communities of Interest. Completed forms are should be returned to Julie Cairns, CSA Group, by email at Julie.Cairns@csagroup.org or fax at 216.520.8979. The deadline for receiving proposals is March 6, 2017.
Trillium CNG to Build CNG Locations for Miami-Dade County’s DOT
February 10, 2017
Love’s Trillium CNG, part of the Love’s Family of Companies, has finalized an agreement to bring two CNG facilities to south Florida. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, the stations will be the only CNG locations in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The county awarded Trillium the contract under which the company will design, build and maintain the CNG facilities, upgrade maintenance facilities, as well as procure 300 CNG buses for the county’s public transportation system.
“This is easily one of the most innovative public-private collaborations we’ve undertaken with a transit agency,” said Bill Cashmareck, Director of Trillium CNG. “Our goal is to simplify sustainability, meaning that we’ll take care of the details, which allows our Customers, like Miami-Dade County, to focus on offering the best level of service to their Customers while running on clean fuel.”
The stations will serve approximately 250 Miami-Dade County buses each. Trillium has contracted with New Flyer to provide the first 300 CNG buses. The 40-foot Xcelsior CNG buses will be delivered throughout 2017 and 2018. The agency may add CNG buses in the future.
The Miami-Dade County Metrobus system provides service along 95 bus routes that travel 29 million miles per year throughout the county, including parts of Broward County and the Middle Keys. County officials say the agreement will help them reach their goals of meeting the transportation needs of their customers while increasing sustainability.
“As mayor, it’s my responsibility to seek the best possible future for our children and grandchildren from both a financial and environmental perspective, and I believe compressed natural gas and renewable natural gas for our county’s buses will move us towards that goal,” said Carlos Giménez, Mayor of Miami-Dade County.
Both locations will have separate fueling islands for the public. Construction on the first facility is slated to begin later this year and open early next year, and construction on the second station is scheduled to start this winter and be open by summer 2018.
Trillium will provide the fuel for both stations, with a minimum of 20 percent of the fuel will be RNG. The agreement also includes CNG-related updates to existing transit maintenance, new fueling buildings, bus washes, and a 10-year operation and maintenance agreement.
Love’s Travel Stops currently operates 13 travel stops in Florida, with additional locations in Moore Haven, Bushnell and Lake Wales scheduled to open this year. Trillium operates five CNG facilities in the state, two of which they own.
Omnitek Engineering to Develop Off-Road Natural Gas Engine
February 8, 2017
Omnitek Engineering announced the company will participate in a $1.5 million grant study with its partner Olson-Ecologic Testing Laboratories, based in Fullerton, California, to demonstrate its clean natural gas engine technology for off-road heavy duty construction vehicle applications in the greater Los Angeles area.
Omnitek Engineering will develop an 18L Caterpillar natural gas engine capable of operating on CNG, LNG and RNG by utilizing its patented diesel-to-natural gas engine conversion technology. Olson-Ecologic Engine Testing Laboratories will serve as project manager and be responsible for testing at its facility prior to demonstrations under real-life conditions.
“Construction equipment is the largest category of off-road emissions in the South Coast Air Basin, accounting for about one third of the off-road NOx and PM 2.5 emissions, according information provided by the California Air Resources Board (CARB),” said Werner Funk, president and chief executive officer of Omnitek Engineering. “Our goal is to demonstrate the cost-effective alternatives to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and facilitate fleet compliance requirements by introducing advanced technology natural gas engines to the traditionally diesel powered off-road construction industry.”
Omnitek anticipates that a successful demonstration will be supportive of California’s AB 32, AB 118, SB 1250, the Integrated Energy Policy Report and the Natural Gas Vehicle Research Roadmap.
Clean Energy Signs Multiple Agreements, to Construct New Stations
February 9, 2017
Clean Energy announced the company has been contracted to construct multiple fueling stations in early 2017. Clean Energy was contracted to design and build a CNG fueling station in Grand Junction, Colorado for Mesa County and Grand Valley Transit. The station is expected to fuel up to 30 CNG transit buses, 21 refuse and street sweeping trucks and be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the public. The station is anticipated to dispense approximately 530,000 GGEs per year and is scheduled to open mid-summer 2017.
Clean Energy has also been awarded a design and build contract by Schwarz Ready Mix for a station located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The site, expected to dispense an estimated 300,000 GGEs per year, is the second station Clean Energy has built for Schwarz. The first station is located in Oklahoma City and was completed in 2015.
In addition to these construction projects, Clean Energy announced the following agreements in the trucking, transit and refuse sectors:
In trucking, SuperValu, a grocery industry leader with 3,420 stores throughout the US, has signed a fueling agreement with Clean Energy to use its network of stations in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and New York. The grocer, which operates a fleet of CNG trucks throughout their network, is expected to use up to 100,000 GGEs of natural gas per year.
Castan Inc., a drayage truck operator based out of Edgewood, Washington, which operates in the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, has signed a fueling contract with Clean Energy to fuel out of its Fife, Washington station. The station consists of two LNG fast-fill pumps, and is open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Castan expects to be operating with 100 percent LNG trucks by the end of 2017.
Clean Energy and Shipley Energy announced the opening of the first natural gas fueling station in York County, Pennsylvania. The station is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is available to the public. The station was designed and built by Clean Energy, and will utilize quick-fill CNG dispensers to service fleets like Shipley Energy and Bimbo Bakeries, who combined are expected to use an estimated 210,000 GGEs per year.
In transit, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) has awarded Clean Energy a fueling contract to provide Redeem RNG for its on-campus Bruin Bus fleet. The transit fleet will fuel at its private fleet fueling station and use an estimated 80,000 GGEs per year.
Muskegon Area Transit Authority, located in Muskegon, Michigan, has signed a two-year agreement with Clean Energy for operations and maintenance services at its Muskegon station. The station has an expected annual volume of 83,500 GGEs per year and is the first transit station contract for Clean Energy in the state.
Vectren Energy, the natural gas utility in southwestern Indiana, has signed a three-year operations and maintenance agreement with Clean Energy for its public access station in Evansville, Indiana. The CNG station dispenses approximately 60,000 GGEs per year.
The Tucson International Airport has awarded Clean Energy a five-year lease extension for its natural gas fueling station. In addition to airport service vehicles, the station provides fuel to vehicles from Waste Management and the City of Tucson.
AirServe, a leading airport logistics provider, has awarded Clean Energy a fueling contract for operations at Los Angeles International Airport. AirServe will fuel 20 passenger transportation vehicles for operations with American Airlines.
Phoenix Super Shuttle has extended its contract with Clean Energy to fuel 20 transit vans for operations at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The vans will use approximately 200,000 GGEs per year and fuel at Clean Energy’s public station.
In refuse, Clean Energy has a three-year operations and maintenance contract with Recology, one of the largest private refuse fleets in the country, for their two CNG stations located in Brisbane and Gilroy, California. The two stations, built by Clean Energy are estimated to dispense approximately 300,000 GGEs per year to start and will support over 50 natural gas refuse trucks.
EJ Harrison, one of the oldest and largest privately owned trash collection businesses in the US, signed a 10-year operations and maintenance agreement with Clean Energy, as well as a fueling agreement for Clean Energy’s Redeem RNG fuel. EJ Harrison operates out of Ventura, California, and is expected to use approximately 125,000 GGEs in the first year of operations.
The City of Bakersfield has awarded Clean Energy a fuel supply deal to serve its two refueling locations with LNG. The city is anticipated to use approximately 760,000 GGEs per year. Clean Energy currently provides operations and maintenance services for both of the stations.
Clean Energy has signed an LNG fueling contract with Burrtec Waste Industries, one of the largest private solid-waste companies in California. Clean Energy will transport approximately 190,000 GGEs of LNG to Burrtec’s facility in Palm Desert, California each year.
In addition to these agreements, Clean Energy announced that it has recently secured $3.5 million in grant funds for 22 of its customers in California. The grants, provided by the California Energy Commission (CEC), are part of the Natural Gas Vehicle Incentive Program (NGVIP) and will assist with the purchase of 186 natural gas vehicles this year.
In 2016, Clean Energy secured a total $40.5 million in grants for its customers, including funds for CNG station construction projects and the purchase of over 700 NGVs for customers in 12 states and Canada.
Trillium to Build New CNG Station for Colorado Fleets
February 7, 2016
Love’s Trillium CNG has finalized an agreement to bring a CNG station to Gunnison, Colorado. Gunnison County and the Gunnison Valley Rural Transportation Authority (RTA) recently reached an agreement with Trillium in which the company will design, own, operate and maintain the CNG facility.
The CNG station that will serve Gunnison County’s fleet vehicles and the Gunnison Valley RTA’s bus fleet will also be open to the public. It will be strategically placed on Highway 50 to provide professional truck drivers and motorists with another CNG location along the highway. According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, the new station will fill a gap of nearly 300 miles between Pueblo and Grand Junction along U.S.
The station will feature two CNG pumps and will also serve light and heavy duty trucks. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and the station should be open by summer. The station will supply the county fleet and Gunnison Valley RTA with clean-burning RNG.
Funding for the project has been supplied in part by a $500,000 grant through the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) in order to assist the Gunnison County Board of County Commissioner’s goal of converting to CNG.
“CEO’s ALT Fuels Colorado program helps remove the most significant barrier to natural gas fleet vehicle adoption through matching grants for publicly accessible fast-fill stations,” said Wes Maurer, Transportation Program Manager with the Colorado Energy Office. “We’re currently on course to double the number of preexisting fueling stations over the coming year.”
Love’s Travel Stops, a national travel stop company of more than 410 locations in 40 states, operates 14 locations in Colorado, including a Love’s Country Store in Gunnison. Trillium operates two CNG facilities in the state.
Worthington Industries Introduces Multiple Element Gas Container
February 6, 2017
Worthington Industries announced the addition of a multiple element gas container (MEGC) to its alternative fuels storage and transportation portfolio. Designed for long-term storage and transportation of CNG, these containers make CNG accessible where it is not available by pipeline.
“Worthington’s multiple element gas container supports our customers’ interests in offering CNG to emerging markets where natural gas pipelines are not yet established,” said Geoff Gilmore, president of Worthington Industries’ Pressure Cylinders business. “The MEGC adds another dimension to our onboard fuel storage portfolio and is part of our strategy to offer products for every stage of natural gas storage and transport.”
Worthington’s MEGCs feature lightweight, Type III composite cylinders, which offer dual benefits of increased payload capacity and durability. The Type III-based gas container increases the amount of gas transported with each load when compared to a traditional steel tube trailer.
Manufactured at Worthington Industries’ Slupsk, Poland location, the gas containers are certified to ADR/TPED and are available to global markets excluding North America.
Westport and Volvo Car Expand V90 Bi-Fuel into Belgium and Luxembourg
February 7, 2017
Westport AB, a Westport Fuel Systems company, announced that Volvo Car will expand the bi-fuel version of its new V90 station wagon in Belgium and Luxembourg. Unveiled at the 95th European Motor Show in Brussels on January 14, 2017, the Volvo V90 Bi-Fuel is now available for order at participating Volvo dealers and deliveries are scheduled for May 2017.
Based on Volvo Car’s four-cylinder T5 petrol engine and equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the V90 Bi-Fuel configuration provides premium performance and environmental benefits while running on CNG and RNG.
“Belgium currently has 5,400 natural gas vehicles on the road and a developed infrastructure network that includes 73 CNG stations,” said Didier Hendrickx of Natural Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA) Belgium. “Through tax incentives from the authorities and gas network operators, the Belgium market has the opportunity to grow its natural gas vehicle population to 10,000 vehicles and 100 stations by the end of 2017.”
The Volvo V90 Bi-Fuel is produced at the Volvo Car factory in Gothenburg, Sweden. Final installations are done at a Westport facility located at the Volvo Car assembly plant in Gothenburg.
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