Tourmaline, Clean Energy open new CNG stations in Canada

Canadian natural gas producer Tourmaline Oil and fuel supplier Clean Energy Fuels announced the opening of two new compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations in Alberta, Canada. The new locations in Calgary and Grande Prairie join the Edmonton station that opened in April 2023.

Tourmaline and Clean Energy called this a milestone in their ongoing efforts to build Western Canada’s first commercial-grade public CNG fueling network. The new locations establish a crucial transportation corridor for trucking companies converting their fleets from diesel to CNG, the companies said.

“We are expanding our multi-year diesel displacement initiative by making CNG more readily available to heavy-duty trucking companies,” said 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.”

Powering long-haul trucks and other fleets with CNG results in lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM) compared to traditional diesel-powered vehicles, Tourmaline and Clean Energy said.

The two companies announced a $70 million joint development agreement in April 2023 and a commitment to build up to 20 CNG fueling stations across Western Canada in the subsequent five years. Tourmaline and Clean Energy said their customer base has since grown to nine companies that have collectively displaced two million liters of diesel via CNG technology.

“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,” said 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, the first company to support the Tourmaline and Clean Energy initiative, plans to leverage the new X15N engine as it prepares to nearly double its fleet of CNG-fueled trucks, Tourmaline and Clean Energy said.

“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,” said Murray Mullen, chairman, senior executive officer (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 20-station network could fuel up to 3,000 natural gas-powered trucks daily, Tourmaline and Clean Energy said. Construction on the next CNG fueling station is set to begin in Kamloops, B.C., with Fort McMurray and Fort St. John to follow. The CNG stations are also equipped with the same infrastructure needed for renewable natural gas (RNG), making for a streamlined transformation when RNG becomes more readily available in Canada.