Clean Energy Provides Bunkering Services And Fuel To World’s First LNG-Powered Container Ships
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. participated in a little history last month when it supported General Dynamics (GD) NASSCO’s launch of the Isla Bella container ship, the first of its kind to operate on LNG fuel.
Clean Energy provided bunkering services and fuel from its Boron, CA liquefaction plant for the GD NASSCO-built cargo ship, which was delivered to TOTE Maritime in San Diego. Clean Energy will also be providing bunkering services next month to the second GD NASSCO-built ship, the Perla Del Caribe.
Andrew J. Littlefair, president and CEO of Clean Energy, said, “As the maritime industry begins its transition to LNG, Clean Energy can bring our many years of fueling services to ensure an easy and seamless transition. We applaud NASSCO and TOTE as world leaders in the introduction of the clean fuel to the commercial shipping industry. The use of natural gas is continuing to expand across the various transportation sectors and is the best choice economically and environmentally.”
By using natural gas, these TOTE vessels will be the cleanest cargo-carrying ships in the world and equivalent to removing 15,700 vehicles from the road.
The Company is on Track to Complete 68 Station Projects in 2015.
Clean Energy signed additional agreements across transportation market segments of transit, refuse and trucking and is on track to complete 68 station projects before the end of the calendar year. These include new CNG and LNG stations as well as expansion and upgrades of existing stations. This number was a comparable to previous years when oil prices were significantly higher demonstrating the viability of natural gas as a competitive fuel in all market environments due to its price stability and a cleaner profile.
New fueling agreements and projects completed over the last few months
Transit
compressed natural gas (CNG) | Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority at its brand new Division 13 facility | 10 years contract |
compressed natural gas (CNG) | LA Metro’s 11 private facility | sole contract |
compressed natural gas (CNG) | the City of Los Angeles and operated by Transdev 100 CNG Busses | 1 year |
compressed natural gas (CNG) | Union Gas Limited Ontario, Canada | 4 year maintenance |
Trucking
Frito-Lay has renewed their agreement with Clean Energy to support their 200-plus CNG tractor fleet across Arizona, California, Nevada, Ohio, Indiana and Texas. The new contract is expected to increase the fuel volume consumed each year significantly.
Matheson Trucking is adding 17 CNG trucks to their fleet and will fuel with Clean Energy at the Republic Services station in Boise, ID until new stations are built in Boise and Salt Lake City, where Matheson will be the anchor tenant. Matheson is expected to consume approximately 400,000 DGEs annually during this multi-year agreement.
Seaboard Transport will begin fueling 20 CNG trucks at a recently opened CNG station designed and equipped by Clean Energy. Each year the Kansas City, KS station will provide 500,000 DGEs of CNG to the largest Midwest Shipping company.
Refuse
In October, All American Waste and Clean Energy held a joint ribbon-cutting for a new station in New Haven, CT. This station is the second in Connecticut Clean Energy has built to provide services to the Connecticut’s largest refuse company and estimates All-American to consume approximately 500,000 DGEs per year.
The City of Chesapeake, VA has contracted with Clean Energy to design, build and operate a public-access CNG station for use by their refuse fleet. The city is currently using 35 CNG refuse trucks with plans to expand over the next two years to 53, which are anticipated to use an estimated 350,000 DGEs per year.
The City of Spokane, WA signed a 5-year maintenance agreement for their recently opened station designed and equipped by Clean Energy. The City will use an estimated 200,000 GGEs per year and has plans to increase their CNG vehicle fleet significantly.
Salt Lake County Sanitation has opened a new station designed and built by Clean Energy that will service 25 trucks for its refuse program. The fleet has 10 more trucks on order and will eventually grow the fleet to 50+ vehicles that will consume an estimated 400,000 DGEs per year. Clean Energy also has the maintenance contract for the station and has deployed for the first time its Clean Energy Fuels Fleet Management System. This system, designed for time-fill fleets, allows for the remote measurement of fuel usage in individual trucks, giving fleet managers more information to manage effectively their fleet and fueling operations.
South San Francisco Scavenger has signed a new 10-year maintenance agreement with Clean Energy for their biogas CNG station. The station fuels 22 trucks, and Scavenger plans to grow the fleet to more than 40 over the next three years.
Republic Services continues to expand its significant partnership with Clean Energy with an upgraded contract to fuel an additional 25 trucks at their Huntington Beach, CA facility as well as an agreement to build a new station in Daly City, CA. The Daly City station will support as many as 21 trucks when it first opens.
Natural gas fuel costs up to $1.00 less than gasoline or diesel, depending on local market conditions. The use of natural gas fuel also reduces greenhouse gas emissions up to 30% in light-duty vehicles and 23% in medium to heavy-duty vehicles. Also, nearly all natural gas consumed in North America is produced in North America.
Source: Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
