— 150 LNG Truck Fueling Stations Enabling Goods Movement Coast-to-Coast
and Border-to-Border Anticipated by End of 2013 —
SEAL BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
The route plan for the first phase of 150 new LNG fueling stations for America's
Natural Gas Highway (ANGH) was unveiled today by Clean Energy Fuels
Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE), the leading provider of natural gas fuel for
transportation in North America. The company has identified 98 locations
and anticipates having 70 stations open by the end of 2012 in 33 states.
Many of the fueling stations will be co-located at Pilot-Flying J Travel
Centers already serving goods movement trucking through an exclusive
agreement with Pilot to build, own and operate natural gas fueling
facilities at agreed-upon travel centers. Pilot-Flying J is the nation's
largest truck-stop operator with more than 550 retail properties in 47
states.
Major highway segments planned for early opening include, among others,
those linking San Diego-Los Angeles-Riverside-Las Vegas; the Texas
Triangle (Houston-San Antonio-Dallas/Ft. Worth); Los Angeles-Dallas;
Houston-Chicago; Chicago-Atlanta; and a network of stations along major
highways in the mid-west region (IL, IN, OH, MO, KY, TN, KS, OK, AL) to
serve the heavy trucking traffic in the area.
Scheduled for completion during 2012 and 2013, the 150 first-phase
stations coincide with the expected arrival of new natural gas truck
engines well suited for heavy-duty, over-the-road trucking. Engine
manufacturers and original equipment truck manufacturers such as
Cummins-Westport, Kenworth, Peterbilt, Navistar, Freightliner and
Caterpillar are expected to have Class-8 trucks available in engine
sizes allowing for varied road and driving requirements.
"We are moving quickly to build this important network in order to
support the new trucks," said Andrew J. Littlefair, Clean Energy's
President and CEO. "Already, Clean Energy has engaged over 100 shippers,
private fleets and for-hire carriers that have shared their operations
to qualify the economic opportunity of operating natural gas trucks,
which has helped us, in turn, plan the first phase of the natural gas
fueling highway."
Littlefair noted that the ANGH stations are in addition to the
station building planned for the company's traditional markets in
transit, refuse, airport/taxi/shuttle and local/regional trucking, which
activity accounted for 63 station projects in 2011.
In July 2011, in a major alliance supporting the transition of trucking
from diesel to natural gas fuel, Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:
CHK), the nation's second largest natural gas producer, committed an
investment of $150 million in Clean Energy to help fund the development
of America's Natural Gas Highway. In September 2011, a group of
international investors committed an additional $150 million, and in
December 2011, another $150 million was invested, bringing the total
investment in Clean Energy in 2011 for fueling station infrastructure
development and other capital projects to $450 million.
Currently priced up to $1.50 per gallon lower than diesel or gasoline
(depending upon local markets), the use of natural gas fuel reduces
costs significantly for vehicle and fleet owners, and reduces greenhouse
gas emissions approximately 23% in medium to heavy-duty vehicles.
Additionally, natural gas is a secure North American energy source with
98% of the natural gas consumed produced in the U.S. and Canada.
Clean Energy (Nasdaq: CLNE) is the largest provider of natural
gas fuel for transportation in North America and a global leader in the
expanding natural gas vehicle market. It has operations in CNG and LNG
vehicle fueling, construction and operation of CNG and LNG fueling
stations, biomethane production, vehicle conversion and compressor
technology.
Today Clean Energy fuels over 25,000 vehicles at 273 strategic locations
across the United States and Canada with a broad customer base in the
refuse, transit, trucking, shuttle, taxi, airport and municipal fleet
markets. Clean Energy del Peru, a joint venture, fuels vehicles and
provides CNG to commercial customers in Peru. We own (70%) and operate a
landfill gas facility in Dallas, Texas, that produces renewable natural
gas, or biomethane, for delivery in the nation's gas pipeline network,
and we plan to build a second facility in Michigan. We own and operate
LNG production plants in Willis, Texas and Boron, Calif. with combined
capacity of 260,000 LNG gallons per day and that are designed to expand
to 340,000 LNG gallons per day as demand increases. NorthStar, a wholly
owned subsidiary, is the recognized leader in LNG/LCNG (liquefied to
compressed natural gas) fueling system technologies and station
construction and operations. BAF Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned
subsidiary, is a leading provider of natural gas vehicle systems and
conversions for taxis, vans, pick-up trucks and shuttle buses. IMW
Industries, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary based in Canada, is a
leading supplier of compressed natural gas equipment for vehicle fueling
and industrial applications with more than 1,200 installations in 24
countries. For more information, visit www.cleanenergyfuels.com.
Forward-Looking Statements — This news release contains
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including
statements about the number and location of stations to be included in
the natural gas highway system, the timing for the completion of
construction of these stations, the availability and deployment of, as
well as the demand for, heavy duty natural gas truck engines, and the
potential for a natural gas highway system. Actual results and the
timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these
forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including
permitting or other delays encountered during the identification of
locations for, and the construction of, natural gas fueling stations,
including those stations for the natural gas highway, the performance,
availability and price of natural gas vehicles relative to gasoline and
diesel vehicles and the price per gallon of natural gas relative to
diesel and gasoline. The forward-looking statements made herein speak
only as of the date of this press release and, unless otherwise required
by law, the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such
forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50131359&lang=en
Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
News Media
Bruce Russell,
310/559-4955 x101
brussell@cleanenergyfuels.com
or
Investors
Ina
McGuinness, 805/427-1372
ina@mcguinnessir.com
Source: Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
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