Construction Underway for CNG Station at Truck Stop
GIRARD, Ohio -- Construction is underway to build a compressed natural gas station at the Mr. Fuel truck stop here and should be finished by the end of June, an executive says.
Dave Mrowzinski, CNG program manager for IGS CNG Services, says the project, announced in June (READ STORY), entails the construction of a CNG fueling and compressor station. "We've gotten through the design and permitting process," he says.
This morning workers were digging through a portion of the pavement where the compressor station will sit. "In a few months, anybody who has a natural gas compressed-vehicle in and around the Youngstown area, or traveling through on Interstate 80, will be able to fill up with compressed natural gas," Mrowzinski says.
Demand, especially among transportation companies, is on the rise for CNG-fueled vehicles, he reports. "We have seen over the past year or two increased interest in compressed natural gas, especially for large fleets running semi-trucks, for example."
Companies are converting their delivery fleets to CNG because they can achieve is significant savings through reduced fuel costs, Mrowzinski says. The cost of using CNG fuel could save drivers 30% to 50% in what they pay for fuel. The national average price is between $2.10 and $2.40 per gallon. The Girard site proved a great location because of its access to I-80.
Also, once the station opens, it could encourage other companies to convert their vehicles to CNG, or perhaps convince buyers of cars and trucks in the area to consider CNG, or CNG hybrid models as an option.
Mrowzinski's own Chevrolet pickup truck, for example, is modified to run on a mixture of regular unleaded fuel and CNG, he says.
The Youngstown area is part of a larger network IGS is developing. It extends to nearby states and that should allow both short- and long-haul truckers to fill up along their routes.
"We are aggressively building out a corridor throughout Ohio and surrounding states,” Mrozinski says, “so that trucking companies can feel confident that if they purchase a CNG vehicle, they'll be able to take their vehicles anywhere in a surrounding state region and be able to fuel up in natural gas."
IGS' new station ties into an existing Dominion natural gas line. The gas is transported to a compressor station where the gas is stored before it’s delivered to pumps at lanes 13 and 14 at Mr. Fuel.
IGS doesn't divulge the exact cost of its investment, but on average, CNG stations run between $1.5 million and $2.5 million to build, Mrowzinski says. "The nice thing about CNG is that it's scaleable. We could continue to expand down the line here."
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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