Quebec CNG Station First of Many for C.A.T.
In Quebec, C.A.T. Inc., Gaz Métro Limited Partnership (Gaz Métro) and U.S. Venture Gain Fuel Canada, ULC have broken ground for the first GAIN® Clean Fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) station in the province. The fast-fill station will provide the North American carrier with an alternative fuel to support its growing fleet of CNG trucks.
The station, located at 4 Transport Street in the industrial park of Coteau-du Lac, will be supplied with natural gas through Gaz Métro’s network. The opening of the station is planned for this fall.
“We’re excited to break ground on this important project,” said C.A.T. Inc. President Daniel Goyette. “The carrier industry is evolving with the use of CNG and we are on the forefront of that evolution. Partnering with GAIN Clean Fuel has provided us the infrastructure we need as we continue to convert our fleet from diesel fuel to operating on CNG. It’s been a great relationship and we look forward to leveraging the many benefits of CNG to improve our business and become better environmental stewards.”
Nearly a third of C.A.T.’s fleet of 350 tractors will be converted to CNG. This station, along with four additional GAIN Clean Fuel stations under construction in Toronto, Ontario; Laredo, Texas; Charlotte, North Carolina and Scranton, Pennsylvania, as part of the partnership, will be combined with the existing GAIN Clean Fuel North American network to provide C.A.T. access to a reliable and quality source of CNG. Goyette said at the time of acquiring 100 new CNG-fueled Ryder-leased Freightliner Cascadia Evolution highway unitslast October, said at the time “This eco-friendly technology is proven and we are in the process of setting up our distribution network in 600 mile increments throughout our North American service network. With this addition we may just be the “greenest” carrier on the highway!”
“It’s incredible to see such an industry leader make this significant commitment to change how it operates,” said GAIN Clean Fuel General Manager Bill Renz. “Many carriers do smaller, incremental conversions, and when they realize the benefits, continue the conversion process. To convert this many tractors at once to CNG shows the level of C.A.T.’s commitment.”
CNG benefits include savings on fuel of up to 30 percent compared with diesel and up to 25 percent less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than diesel fuel, making it more environmentally friendly, an important feature for C.A.T. as it works to reduce its fleet’s environmental impact. Another significant advantage is CNG is domestically produced, creating price stability when compared with diesel fuel which is influenced by the price of oil on the world market.
“Gain is the first major road transport energy distributor to establish itself in Québec, with a public natural gas fueling station. The strategic location of this new station on one of the most heavily traveled corridors in North America (A-20/H-401)—and a stone’s throw from Ontario and the United States—will provide even greater flexibility for Québec carriers,” said Éric Desmarais, Director, Fuel Market at Gaz Métro. “C.A.T.’s commitment confirms once more how much transport companies recognize the many advantages of natural gas as a replacement for diesel,” added Mr. Desmarais.
When completed, the new stations, like all other GAIN Clean Fuel stations, will provide easy access, fast-fill capabilities and will be open for use by other fleets and the general public. They will also have fleet card acceptance capabilities for trucker convenience and provide reliability to ensure that fleets have a consistent fuel source.
https://www.ngvglobal.com/blog/quebec-cng-station-first-of-many-for-c-a-t-0618
