Tourmaline, Clean Energy Fuels to partner on natural gas fuelling station network | 24CA News
Canada’s largest pure fuel producer is partnering with a California-based clear vitality firm to construct and function a community of compressed pure fuel (CNG) fuelling stations to assist heavy-haul vans get off diesel.
Calgary-based Tourmaline Oil Corp. made the announcement Tuesday alongside Clean Energy Fuels Corp., an American firm that’s the largest supplier south of the border of low-carbon gasoline for the transportation market.
Together, the 2 corporations say they plan to speculate $70 million to fee as much as 20 CNG stations over the subsequent 5 years. The stations can be branded Clean Energy and use Tourmaline’s pure fuel, giving trucking fleets an opportunity to enhance their environmental efficiency.
“There are plenty of trucking fleets that have shown interest already, so we’re feeling really good about our plan,” Clean Energy Fuels CEO Andrew Littlefair informed reporters in Calgary.
“Most of the customer-facing truck haulers . . . their customers want them to be sustainable.”
While nonetheless a fossil gasoline, pure fuel is extra environmentally pleasant than diesel, with a 20 per cent decrease C02 emissions profile. Converting one semi truck to CNG from diesel is the equal of taking as much as 5 passenger autos off the highway.
There are different choices that the long-haul trucking sector is taking a look at to scale back its greenhouse fuel footprint. In the U.S., Clean Energy operates a community of 590 fuelling stations for the 25,000 heavy-duty vans, buses and enormous autos within the nation that run on renewable pure fuel, or RNG.
RNG isn’t a fossil gasoline — it’s made out of natural waste. Switching from diesel to RNG drastically reduces carbon emissions by a mean of 300 per cent, Littlefair mentioned.
However, in Canada, RNG provide stays restricted, although Littlefair mentioned the fuelling station infrastructure required for RNG is similar as for CNG, which means it will probably simply be added to the stations because it comes onstream.
Electric semi vans might also sometime be an choice, although proper now they don’t have the vary or energy that trucking corporations are on the lookout for.
In the meantime, pure fuel is considerable, simply distributed and reasonably priced.
“We have to reduce emissions now. It’s not about what we can do three decades from now,” mentioned Tourmaline CEO Mike Rose. “Natural gas is here now.”
The first station below the settlement is situated north of Edmonton and is already operational, and extra stations in Calgary, Grande Prairie, Alta. and Kamloops, B.C. are anticipated to be up and operating by the tip of subsequent 12 months, the businesses mentioned.
One of North America’s largest logistics corporations, Mullen Group Ltd., has already indicated it plans to make use of the community of stations for its rising fleet of CNG-powered vans.
CEO Murray Mullen mentioned his firm has been working CNG vans in Alberta for greater than 18 months. He mentioned whereas the pure gas-powered engines are about 30 per cent dearer than a conventional diesel engine, the CNG itself is cheaper than retail diesel gasoline.
“CNG is the future. This makes business sense,” Mullen mentioned.
Currently, solely round two per cent of recent Class A heavy-haul vans offered in North America are pure gas-powered. But Mullen mentioned that’s anticipated to develop quickly because the sustainability motion gathers steam.
“We’ve got a lot (of natural gas trucks) on order, but I can’t get them because the supply is tight. And the reason is because the industry across North America is moving in the same direction as I am,” Mullen mentioned.
“The change is happening so quickly that it’s creating bottlenecks in the supply chain.”
Mullen mentioned by the tip of the last decade, 50 per cent of the autos he purchases for his fleet will possible be powered by pure fuel, RNG or one thing else that isn’t diesel.
“I can feel it when I talk to my industry peers. There’s a lot of change happening,” Mullen mentioned.
“I don’t see anybody that’s denying it.”
© 2023 The Canadian Press
