Los Angeles-based port drayage company Pac Anchor Transportation recently added 23 natural gas trucks to its fleet, and they are expected to use 2.5 million gallons of renewable natural gas (RNG) from Clean Energy Fuels (NASDAQ: CLNE).
Clean Energy’s RNG, which the company said reduces greenhouse gas emissions 70% to 300% depending on the source, is sweeping across North America.
After a recent agreement to provide Amazon with RNG for fleets and a stock warrant for up to 53.14 million shares of Clean Energy common stock, Clean Energy shared several new fueling agreements in trucking, transit and solid waste operations Wednesday.
“At Pac Anchor, we’re committed to finding innovative solutions for lowering our carbon footprint,” said Alfredo Barajas, president of Pac Anchor, in a statement. “That’s why we chose RNG trucks, a tried-and-true technology that helps us deliver results in real time for our communities and clients.”
RNG is a zero-carbon renewable fuel that has the necessary infrastructure, technology, maintenance and trained technicians available today, Chad Lindholm, vice president at Clean Energy, told FreightWaves.
Fueling agreements with Clean Energy identified in the release:
- Cal Portland: 1 million gallons of RNG will fuel its 150 natural gas truck fleet.
- Biagi Bros.: 900,000 gallons of RNG will fuel 12 new trucks.
- Ecology Auto Parts: 420,000 gallons of RNG will fuel 35 new vehicles.
- EVO Transportation & Energy Services Inc.: Clean Energy stations will be co-branded with EVO Transportation over five years to expand RNG growth.
- Republic Transportation Group: 200,000 gallons of RNG will fuel its fleet annually.
- Matheson Trucking Co.: 200,000 gallons of RNG will fuel 16 new tractors.
“While refuse fleets were earlier adopters of RNG as a zero-carbon fuel source following the introduction of the Cummins 9L engine, trucking fleets have taken notice and are now seeing the viability of RNG as a clean and cost-effective solution to [achieve] their environmental goals,” Lindholm said.
RNG is commonly produced from biogas at landfills, so it seems only fitting that solid waste trucks are increasingly being powered by the garbage they move.
Clean Energy’s expansions into solid waste:
- City of Pasadena, California: 1.5 million gallons of RNG will fuel more than 50 natural gas refuse trucks and transit busses over a multiyear agreement.
- Mission Trails Waste Systems: An upgraded station will extend maintenance and operations over multiple years and provide fuel for more than 50 natural gas refuse trucks.
- Salt Lake County Sanitation: Operations and maintenance services will be provided by Clean Energy, along with a station upgrade to accommodate 60 garbage trucks.
- Garden City Sanitation: A Clean Energy station will be upgraded to fuel, maintain and service more than 80 solid waste trucks.
- Atlas Refuel: A station expansion will accommodate 50 natural gas trucks.
Lindholm predicted that all construction contracts for builds and upgrades would be completed by the end of the year.
“Fleets are learning that RNG, together with natural gas engine technology, is a proven solution that can significantly decrease the impact of harmful emissions and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Lindholm said.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Alyssa Sporrer.
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