Big rig truckers and fleet operators contemplating the purchase of a natural gas-fueled rig have several things to consider. One is the availability of fuel. Compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) don’t share the same availability characteristics, according to Kenworth Truck Co.’s Andy Douglas, national sales manager for specialty markets.

“Currently, many local transit and government agencies use CNG to power trucks and buses, so that fuel source may be easier to find,” Douglas said. “Meanwhile, the natural gas infrastructure available to the public is expanding at an accelerated rate across the United States and Canada along well traveled transportation routes.”

For example, natural gas engine manufacturer Westport Innovations in Vancouver, BC, and Shell have agreed to launch a co-marketing program in North America aimed at providing customers with a better economic case for adopting natural gas-powered vehicles by addressing fuel supply and customer support (see Daily GPI, Oct. 4), Douglas said.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. said last summer it will invest $150 million in Clean Energy Fuels Corp. over the next three years to help underwrite 150 publicly accessible LNG fueling stations for heavy-duty trucks along major interstate highway corridors (see Daily GPI, July 12), he added.

“It’s amazing the amount of infrastructure activity that’s happened in the past five years,” Douglas said. “It may not be too long before we’ll see enough natural gas stations along key interstate corridors for trucks to be able to travel from Los Angeles to New York and back.”

The other thing to consider when choosing between CNG and LNG is operating range of the rig/fleet, he said. “In general, if your operating range is over 400 miles, it’s usually best to go with LNG. Under 400 miles, CNG can be an option. CNG can be used up to 66,000 pounds GVW [gross vehicle weight] with some severe-duty applications going up to 80,000 pounds GVW,” said Douglas.

Most CNG stations compress the gas into onsite storage cylinders, which can then dispense the natural gas fuel into truck fuel tanks as quickly as diesel fuel. LNG can be dispensed at 20 to 40 gallons per minute, so fueling a truck with 120-gallon tank capacity may typically take less than five minutes.

“Drivers can refuel CNG-powered trucks without needing to go through special training,” said Douglas. “LNG is a cryogenic fuel and so those vehicles must be refueled by properly trained individuals.”

Some CNG stations are lower volume, or time fill, and fill fuel tanks more slowly. The slower, time-fill system is often used to fuel fleets whose vehicles sit overnight or for several hours, Douglas said.

According to recent figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average cost of diesel in the United States reached $4/gal in November. That’s up just over 25% from the same period a year ago, according to Kenworth.

“The price of natural gas over the past three years has been consistently lower than diesel, in some cases by as much as $2 per diesel gallon equivalent,” said Douglas. “It’s no wonder why natural gas has drawn increasing interest among truck and fleet operators.

“The fuel savings, coupled with the longer trade cycles that some vocational operators already experience with their trucks, can make a positive return on investment [ROI] attainable now, even without government incentives. The business is changing as the trend moves toward greener trucks.”

To help determine if that savings can provide a high enough ROI, Douglas said the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report offers a comparison of CNG, gasoline, diesel and biodiesel fuels on a straight price comparison basis and an energy-equivalent basis. The report is updated every three months.

“Natural gas represents a tremendous future for our industry. Knowing how to choose the right model, fuel, tanks and engine is important for truck fleets and operators looking at adding natural gas units to their operation,” he said.

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