Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has secured contracts to provide its Redeem ™ renewable natural gas (RNG) to power fleets across multiple sectors, including transit, trucking, airports, solid waste and service vehicles.
Redeem became commercially available in 2013 and is derived from capturing biogenic methane that is naturally created by the decomposition of dairy, landfill and wastewater treatment plant waste. As a vehicle fuel, Redeem enables at least 70- percent reduction in carbon emissions when displacing diesel or gasoline.
More fleets are transitioning to natural gas-powered vehicles (NGVs) for their performance, cost savings, environmental advantages and extensive nationwide fueling network, with sales this year on an upward trajectory, according to Clean Energy. As of May, year-to-date sales of NGVs surged 43 percent, according to ACT Research, and were also up 10 percent from April’s numbers.
Greener Big Blue Bus fleet
Long-time customer and an early adopter of Redeem, the Big Blue Bus in Santa Monica has extended its contract with Clean Energy with an anticipated 2.3 million gallons of Redeem per year to fuel its 200 municipal buses.
Big Blue Bus transports 44,000 passengers daily across a 58-square-mile service area. Nationally recognized for its long-standing commitment to a cleaner environment, the entire fleet operates on alternative fuels, including liquefied and compressed natural gas (LNG/CNG), which helps to cut emissions by more than 70 percent.
“We’re proud to continue our partnership with Big Blue Bus and share its commitment to sustainability,” said Clean Energy Vice President Chad Lindholm. “Their natural gas buses are providing healthier air for people in and around Santa Monica and the use of Redeem is significantly reducing greenhouse gas and long-term climate change issues.”
Clean Energy also supplies Redeem for other Santa Monica CNG fleet vehicles, including maintenance trucks, refuse trucks and shuttle buses.
Near-zero trucks roll in ports
Fleets in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the largest port complex in America, are taking delivery of 102 new, near-zero trucks fueled by Redeem.
With funding made available by the Carl Moyer Grant Program and other grant programs, port trucking companies are rolling out trucks equipped with the new Cummins-Westport (CWI) near-zero ISX12N natural gas engine. The ISX12N is certified by California Air Resources Board (CARB) to reduce smog-forming NOx emissions by 90 percent compared to the current engine standard.
“Fortunately for those who live in the area of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, more near-zero trucks are operating on RNG which will help combat air pollution in Southern California,” Lindholm said. “These near-zero natural gas trucks can have a huge positive impact on the environment and provide the level of performance that fleet operators expect.”
Among the fleets taking delivery is Green Fleet Systems, which has committed to 20 near-zero trucks and RNG fuel at a fixed price well below diesel.
TTSI is starting to take delivery of 40 near-zero trucks under Clean Energy’s Zero Now Program, which makes the cost of leasing or purchasing a new natural gas heavy-duty truck equal to the price or even lower than that of the same truck equipped with a diesel engine. In addition, truck fleets financed or purchased through Zero Now can purchase natural gas fuel at a fixed price significantly discounted to diesel.
Other companies that have or will be taking delivery of near-zero trucks include Tradelink Transport, Green Trucking, Overseas Freight, West Coast Trucking, Supra National Express and MDB Transportation, a division of AJR Trucking.
