NGVAmerica News Week in Review: April 13, 2015

•  NGVAmerica Call to Action: Support the NCWM DGE Proposal
• California Energy Commission Approves Grants for Alt Fuel Projects
• Clean Air Power Earns CARB Certification for EDGE Dual-Fuel System
• UPS to Deploy 600 CNG Delivery Trucks with Landi Renzo Fuel Systems
• MGM Resorts Introduces First CNG Cadillac XTS Limousines
• TruStar Celebrates Opening of CNG Station for Indiana’s CityBus
• Love’s Travel Stops to Add CNG to New Station in Arizona
• Cenergy Solutions Develops Adsorbent Natural Gas Technologies
• Wärtsilä Introduces More Efficient LNG Fuel Pump

NGVAmerica Call to Action: Support the NCWM DGE Proposal

April 13, 2015

This July, the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) will vote on the diesel gallon equivalent (DGE) standard.  The vote will occur at the NCWM Annual Meeting being held July 19–23 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  NGVAmerica will participate and speak in support of the DGE proposal during the open session as well as during the Natural Gas Steering Committee meeting.  As with last year’s Annual Meeting, NGVAmerica is encouraging members and trade allies to attend the meeting to support the DGE proposal.  The support of trade allies and members companies helped in January at the NCWM Interim Meeting and resulted in the DGE proposal once again being selected as a voting item.  NCWM has released Publication 16, a document that includes all of the items to be considered by NCWM this summer.

Things members and others can do to support this effort:

• Attend the NCWM Meeting and testify during the open session; this involves speaking from the floor during the open session; remarks are often given informally and do not have to be technical or detailed;
• Contact state NCWM officials and urge them to vote for the DGE proposal;
• Write a letter to your state representative urging them to support the DGE proposal and copy the NCWM Executive and others (NGVAmerica has prepared a sample draft letter);
• Contact elected officials in states where you operate and urge them to contact the states voting representative;
• Inform NGVAmerica if your state regulators have indicated how they plan to vote; and
• Inform NGVAmerica if you will be at the meeting in Philadelphia.

This standard compliments the gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) standard that has been in place for more than 20 years.  Under the proposal, retailers of CNG and LNG will be able to offer these fuels in diesel gallon equivalent units.  CNG retailers would have the option of using GGE or DGE units but LNG would only be sold in DGE units.

Below are links to more information on state representatives and details on the upcoming Annual Meeting.  If your state is represented on the L&R or S&T Committees, it would be helpful to also write those officials.

• State Directors
• NCWM L&R Committee Members
• NCWM S&T Committee Members
• NCWM Annual Meeting Details (July 19–23, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

For more details or a copy of the draft sample letter we have prepared, please contact Jeff Clarke 202.824.7364, or jclarke@NGVAmerica.org.

California Energy Commission Approves Grants for Alt Fuel Projects
April 08, 2015

The California Energy Commission (CEC) approved the 2015-2016 Investment Plan Update for its Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP). The program develops and deploys innovative technologies that transform California’s fuel and vehicle types to help attain the state’s climate change goals. The annual Investment Plan Update determines priorities and opportunities for the program, describes how funding will complement existing public and private efforts, and guides funding decisions.

The grants awarded by the CEC included about $3.4 million in grants for research and development activities to increase operating efficiency and value of advanced ignition systems and fueling infrastructure for natural gas vehicles.

For more information about the CEC’s recently awarded grants, visit the CEC website.

Clean Air Power Earns CARB Certification for EDGE Dual-Fuel System

Clean Air Power (CAP), a developer of compression-ignited natural gas engine systems for heavy duty vehicles, announced that it has achieved certification by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for its US Genesis EDGE Dual-Fuel product. Following the announcement of certification by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year, the group’s Genesis EDGE Dual-Fuel product is now eligible for distribution and sale in all 50 states.

CAP also announced that it has signed a distribution partnership agreement with TEC Equipment, a Volvo and Mack truck dealership operating in the Western U.S. TEC currently operates 14 dealerships at locations along the West Coast, and further inland, spanning the states of California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. In partnership with Clean Air Power, TEC will offer full sales, installation and product support services for customers of CAP’s Genesis-EDGE Dual-Fuel system.

The partnership with TEC follows the announcement on March 13, 2015 of a similar agreement with Bruckner Truck Sales, a dealership operating 22 locations across Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

UPS to Deploy 600 CNG Delivery Trucks with Landi Renzo Fuel Systems
April 2, 2015

Landi Renzo announced it will supply the fuel systems for 600 CNG-powered UPS package delivery vehicles. The announcement follows UPS’s commitment to purchase and deploy 1,400 new CNG vehicles over the next year. The new trucks deployed will consist of approximately 800 tractors and 600 of their familiar brown package delivery vehicles, built on a Freightliner Custom Chassis (FCCC).

Landi Renzo USA will participate as the CARB & EPA certified fuel system provider for the roll out of the 600 natural gas delivery trucks. The trucks will feature Landi Renzo’s fuel system technology on the GM 6.0L powertrain.

“After several years of conducting testing through pilot programs, an order like this validates the trust that a global company like UPS has in our alternative fuel products,” says Andrea Landi, President of Landi Renzo USA.

The delivery trucks will be built using Morgan Olsen bodies and the fuel systems will be installed by Green Alternative Systems.

UPS says it will deploy the new CNG vehicles across 15 cities: Atlanta and Doraville, Georgia; Charleston, West Virginia; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Lexington, Kentucky; Port Allen, Shreveport and New Orleans, Louisiana; Lenexa, Kansas; Montgomery, Alabama; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; New Stanton, Pennsylvania; Richmond and Roanoke, Virginia.

MGM Resorts Introduces First CNG Cadillac XTS Limousines
April 6, 2015

MGM Resorts International and World CNG have introduced the nation’s first CNG Cadillac XTS limousines. The 22 foot-long vehicles are the third generation of CNG-fueled limousines and vehicles in the MGM Resorts fleet.

The Cadillac XTS limousines are 70 inches longer than traditional limos, giving them the designation of “stretch” limos. They are the first XTS limousines certified by Cadillac and the first-ever Cadillac XTS vehicles to be converted to CNG.

MGM Resorts currently has 31 CNG Cadillac XTS limousines servicing guests at ARIA, Bellagio Resort & Casino, MGM Grand Las Vegas and Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.

CityCenter introduced the world’s first full fleet of CNG-powered limos, which were based on the Lincoln Town Car limousine, when it opened in 2009. In 2013, World CNG, in partnership with MGM Resorts, introduced the nation’s first commercial fleet of CNG Cadillac Escalades.

TruStar Celebrates Opening of CNG Station for Indiana’s CityBus
April 9, 2015

TruStar Energy in conjunction with Energy Systems Group (ESG) announced the grand opening of a large fast-fill CNG fuel station for Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation (CityBus). Located in Lafayette, Indiana, CityBus provides transit service to local residents and Purdue University students.

CityBus currently runs a total of 10 CNG buses, six that operate on their regular routes and four additional buses dedicated to paratransit customers. The majority of CityBus customers are college students, and studies conducted by both Ball State and Purdue indicated that CNG would provide the best benefits for CityBus and its riders.

“Cost and efficiency drove the decision,” following an evaluation of fuel sources, expense, environmental impact and ridership, says CityBus general manager Martin Sennett. “We considered the cost of the different fuel options, cost of the buses and the emissions levels and determined CNG was the best option.”

The CityBus station is the second project that TruStar Energy teamed up with Energy Systems Group (ESG), an energy services provider for government, education, healthcare, commercial and industrial entities. According to ESG Business Development Manager Mark Falahee, CityBus plans on gradually converting their 73-bus fleet to CNG as part of their annual replacement schedule.

Love’s Travel Stops to Add CNG to New Station in Arizona
April 9, 2015

Love’s Travel Stops opened a new location in Williams, Arizona, located on Interstate 40. Love’s will be adding fast-fill CNG fueling lanes to the new station later this year.

“Love’s is committed to serving professional drivers and this location fills a gap in Love’s network of locations in Arizona and along Interstate 40,” said Greg Love, co-CEO of Love’s.

The 12,000 sq. ft. facility gives professional drivers access to a variety of products and driver services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The location will also add ninety-one additional truck-parking spaces along Interstate 40 in Arizona.

Cenergy Solutions Develops Adsorbent Natural Gas Technologies
April 7, 2015

Cenergy Solutions has filed for U.S. and international patents on its Adsorbent Natural Gas (ANG) equipment. Cenergy Solutions patent pending ANG storage cylinder technology and conversion system requires less pressure to operate an NGV and allows for more storage in the same size cylinder. With lower pressure requirements, compressors for homes or businesses can cost less to purchase, operate and maintain.

Cenergy Solutions tested its ANG Storage System and Pro ANG Conversion System on a vehicle with a GMC 8.1L engine for over 10,000 miles in conditions that include heavy payloads, high altitudes and cold weather.

“The results have been very positive, and we look forward to testing the system in two distinct and separate commercial fleets,” said Gary Fanger, COO of Cenergy Solutions.

Cenergy’s technology can be applied to existing natural gas cylinders, which typically have a service life of 15 to 20 years. The specialized equipment will also make it possible to use low pressure (350–700 psi) cylinders that are lighter and can be conformed to fit in various areas of empty space in a vehicle.

Cenergy Solutions’ innovations were made possible by collaborating with global energy storage company EnerG2. EnerG2 has been working with NW Natural, a local natural gas distribution company, to improve the fuel storage onboard vehicles that use CNG.

Wärtsilä Introduces More Efficient LNG Fuel Pump
April 9, 2015

Wärtsilä has introduced the new Svanehøj ECA Fuel Pump (EFP) that has been developed in close cooperation with designers of LNG fuel systems to support natural gas engines to achieve greater efficiency. Conventional pumps with the motor installed inside the fuel tank transfer as much as 70 percent of the electrical energy as heat to the LNG.

The new Wärtsilä pump offers a number of advantages, including having no tank connections below liquid level, no electrical components inside the tank, and hardly any contribution to the generation of boil off gas. Having less heat and pressure build up in the fuel tank makes the new pump safe, while also maintaining adequate pressure to ensure a continuous gas flow to the LNG engine.

The Wärtsilä Svanehøj ECA Fuel Pump is designed to be compatible with Wärtsilä’s LNGPac fuel bunkering and supply system, and in accordance with regulations covering vessels operating in Emission Control Areas (ECAs). The pump can also be used with other types of fuel, such as ethane and methanol.