Date: January 3, 2011
Source: Enviro Express
Bridgeport, CT-based Enviro Express, a solid waste collection, transfer and recycling company, has opened a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling station, the first east of the Mississippi, and is converting most of its fleet of trucks to LNG-powered Kenworth T800s. "We're pleased to have these T800 LNG trucks in our fleet," says Bill Malone, president of Enviro Express. "They will benefit the air quality in our communities by reducing the emissions of our fleet operation. Plus, we're doing our part to make our country a little less dependent on imported oil, since the fuel these Kenworths will run on comes from America." Promoters of natural gas say LNG and CNG are cleaner than gasoline and reduce U.S. reliance on imported oil because most natural gas is from North America. The cost savings will grow in accordance with rising oil prices with estimated savings of between 50 cents and $1 per gallon. Large trucks can consume in excess of 20,000 gallons per year.
Patrick Davis, vehicle technologies program manager at the U.S. Department of Energy, said the Bridgeport station is among numerous projects receiving $300 million total in federal stimulus funding. That represents about one-third of the overall investment in these projects, which includes money committed by businesses such as Enviro Express. The $6.2 million cost of the Bridgeport station is split between Enviro Express and federal stimulus money.
PRESS RELEASE
Enviro Express Features New Kenworth T800 LNG Trucks At Major Fuel Station Opening
Door Opens To More Alternative Fuel Vehicles in Connecticut
Kenworth liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks were featured recently at the opening ceremony for a major natural gas, transportation fleet fueling station in Bridgeport.
Enviro Express, a Bridgeport-based firm providing solid waste collection, transfer and recycling services for several area municipalities, is converting most of its fleet of tractors to LNG-powered Kenworth T800s. The fueling station, which the company will operate to provide liquefied and compressed natural gas fuel for its fleet and to the public, is the first one of its kind east of the Mississippi River, according to the Greater New Haven Clean Cities Coalition.
Enviro Express has purchased 18 T800 LNG trucks from MTC Kenworth in Ridgefield Park, N.J. A dozen of the fleet's Kenworth LNG trucks were displayed at the recent event, which included the attendance of U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.); Mark S. Smith, vehicle technology deployment manager for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Clean Cities Program; and Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch.
"We're pleased to have these T800 LNG trucks in our fleet," said Bill Malone, president of Enviro Express. "They will benefit the air quality in our communities by reducing the emissions of our fleet operation. Plus, we're doing our part to make our country a little less dependent on imported oil, since the fuel these Kenworths will run on comes from America." An added benefit is that LNG fuel typically may cost an estimated $1 per gallon less than the diesel fuel equivalent.
Kenworth was the first truck manufacturer to offer an LNG fuel system as a Class 8 factory-installed option. The 15-liter, 450-hp Westport GX engine uses 5 percent diesel and 95 percent liquefied natural gas to power the T800s. To help prepare Enviro Express for the trucks' operation and maintenance, authorized dealer MTC Kenworth held a three-day training session for the fleet's service technicians and drivers.
"Our drivers recently had a chance to sit in one of the T800s and they're very excited to be assigned to them," Malone said. "Kenworth has a great reputation among professional drivers for durability, quality and comfort. Since we expect these trucks to last much longer because of the way they're built, they'll help lower our operating costs.
"We're pleased with the support from MTC Kenworth and, in particular, the work sales representative Doug Ryder did to get us these trucks with the specifications our operation needs," he added.
The trucks will haul ash in frameless dump trailers from a municipal garbage incineration plant in Bridgeport to a regional landfill 110 miles away. They will make two trips per day, with each running about 135,000 miles annually. Twelve of the T800 LNG trucks went into service immediately after the event. The remaining six entered service soon thereafter.
Enviro Express' new fueling station and purchase of the Kenworth T800 LNG trucks are part of a four-year, $29.8 million program involving federal and private funding called the Connecticut Clean Cities Future Fuels Project. More information is available at www.ct-futurefuels.com.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which celebrated the opening of the new fuel station, was held at Enviro Express in Bridgeport near busy U.S. Interstate 95, a key East Coast highway that extends from Maine to Florida. The station, which has equipment to capture, compress and store natural gas from the LNG as it evaporates during storage, will allow other companies, government agencies and transit agencies to deploy more CNG and LNG vehicles.
Federal funding for the station and LNG-powered trucks comes from the U.S. Department of Energy through a federal stimulus grant. The federal funding represents about 45 percent of the project's overall investment, which includes money committed by businesses such as Enviro Express.
"Because Bill Malone took this crucial first step in putting the new station in operation and replacing 18 of his trucks with these LNG-powered Kenworth T800s, there are other local companies interested in adding LNG- and CNG-powered trucks to their fleets," said Tommy Russo, general manager of MTC Kenworth in Ridgefield Park, N.J. "It was important for a company like his to get behind this project and create the infrastructure to make it possible."
Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World's Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth is an industry leader in providing fuel-saving technology solutions that help increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The company's dedication to the green fleet includes aerodynamic trucks, compressed and liquefied natural gas trucks, and medium duty diesel-electric hybrids. Kenworth is the only truck manufacturer to receive the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Excellence award in recognition of its environmentally friendly products. In addition, Kenworth is the recipient of the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates award for Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Medium Duty Truck Dealer Service. Kenworth's Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth. A PACCAR Company.
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