Tourmaline Oil and Clean Energy Fuels announced the opening of two new compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations in Calgary and Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada, on Wednesday.
“We are expanding our multi-year diesel displacement initiative by making CNG more readily available to heavy-duty trucking companies,” says Michael Rose, chairman, president and CEO of Tourmaline. “Right here in Alberta, we have the technology, an abundance of natural gas, and now the infrastructure to help facilitate a transformative shift in the transportation sector.”
Tourmaline and Clean Energy singed a $70 million joint development agreement in 2023. It includes a commitment to build up to 20 CNG fueling stations in western Canada. In a year, the companies say, their customer base has grown to nine companies that, collectively, displaced more than 500,000 gallons of diesel with CNG.
“The adoption of CNG has continued to accelerate over the last year, as more companies recognize the benefits of displacing diesel with a reliable fuel that is easy to use and extremely cost competitive for fleets,” says Andrew Littlefair, president and CEO of Clean Energy. “The development of this critical infrastructure is perfectly timed as the important new X15N natural gas engine from Cummins is being introduced to the trucking industry to rave reviews. We expect that the combination of more fueling locations and the new engine technology, which is perfectly suited for the Canadian market, will pave the way for continued growth of CNG.”
Mullen Group is preparing to nearly double its fleet of CNG-fueled trucks by using the stations and the X15N engine.
“As one of North America’s largest logistics providers, the Mullen Group is committed to being a leader in sustainability. Today, we operate one of the largest CNG-powered truck fleets in the province of Alberta, now having 19 fully operational, with plans to deploy another 15 units as soon as they become available,” says Murray Mullen, chair, SEO and president of Mullen Group. “Our CNG fleet continues to perform well, and now with the opening of these additional fueling stations, we can position the CNG units in additional markets, providing an ESG alternative to a broader scope of customers.”
Once complete, the companies say the CNG network could fuel up to 3,000 trucks per day. Construction on the next stations will begin in Kamloops, Fort McMurray and Fort St. John.