AMP Americas is now operating its trucking fleet on renewable natural gas produced from the country's first agricultural digester project to make products eligible for the Renewable Fuel Standard mandate, the company says.
AMP Americas owns two compressed natural gas fueling stations in Indiana and, in partnership with Fair Oaks Farms, manages a fleet of 42 CNG milk-transport trucks. These long-haul trucks now run on renewable CNG made from manure sourced at the dairy.
The fleet drives more than 20,000 miles a day delivering milk throughout the Midwest.
The digester project is eligible for EPA renewable identification numbers (RINs), AMP says. The EPA assigns a RIN to each batch of renewable fuel produced in or imported to the US. This RIN verifies that the biofuel meets EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard.
According to AMP, CNG produces about 25 percent less carbon dioxide than diesel when sourced using utility-supplied natural gas, and about 100 percent less carbon dioxide when using renewable natural gas, along with reductions in sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions of up to 90 percent and 60 percent respectively.
AMP, along with its joint venture partner, Trillium CNG, will be breaking ground soon on the construction of additional CNG stations in Texas and along the I-65 and I-75 trucking corridors. The stations will be open to the public; AMP expects the primary customers will be heavy-duty and long-haul trucking fleets.
Stations will have fast-fill capabilities and a 24/7 on-call service team. AMP says the stations will offer special fuel-pricing programs to encourage fleets to use CNG, but doesn’t give additional details.
In November, Savannah, Ga.-based convenience store and fuel retailer Enmark announced it is building a fast-fill CNG refueling facility at the intersection of I-95 and Georgia Route 21. Construction will be completed in the second half of 2013; the company plans to build future CNG refueling facilities in Jacksonville, Fla. and Charleston, S.C., in early 2014.
A month earlier, solid waste specialist Republic Services said it is investing $25 million to expand and improve its fleet of CNG-powered trucks for use around the St. Louis area.
