The alternative fuel agendas of fuel
provider PetroCard and waste disposal giant Waste Management collided this past
week. The corporate duo opened a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station
called Clean N’ Green Fuel in South Seattle. The Clean N’ Green Fuel station
will sell CNG for about $1.80 gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) to fleets and
individual customers.
Waste Management’s fleet of CNG trucks in
Seattle has grown to 108 in 2009 with additional trucks expected in the next
few years. The company wants to burnish its reputation for environmental
responsibility by moving to CNG instead of fuel due to CNG’s reduction of
nitrogen oxide (97% over diesel) and greenhouse emissions (20%). Since Waste
Management has such a formidable presence in the Seattle area, the Clean N’
Green Fuel will be assured business from its grand opening.
PetroCard is a Washington-based fuel
supplier that wants to fill the Pacific Northwest with CNG stations over the
next generation. The Clean N’ Green Fuel station joins 66 traditional gas
stations run by PetroCard in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. The company’s experiences
with retail fuel stations as well as fleet fuel purchases make it an ideal
partner for Waste Management.
The long-term goal for PetroCard and Waste
Management is to promote CNG fueling stations nationwide. The United States
houses 120,000 CNG-fueled vehicles including delivery trucks, vans and fleet
cars that are relied upon for day-to-day business. The American CNG market
pales in comparison to the nearly eight million CNG vehicles worldwide, most
operating within the European Union. The demand for CNG fueling stations
already exists worldwide but the market will be filled with CNG vehicles in the
near future.
The Clean N’ Green Fuel station in South
Seattle will determine the pace of growth for the PetroCard/Waste Management
partnership. In addition to the 108 CNG trucks owned by Waste Management, the
King County government has invested in CNG vehicles for deliveries and staff
use. PetroCard may be willing to endure slow growth from its inaugural CNG
station but demand will need to pick up in order to encourage station expansion.
Seattle’s recent alliance with Nissan for EV infrastructure, its eco-friendly
culture and ventures like Clean N’ Green must give confidence to city residents
interested in a clean fuel revolution.
