In The News
Trillium to build, operate CNG facilities for PennDOT
OKLAHOMA CITY — Trillium CNG, Love's Travel Stops compressed natural gas company, Monday was awarded a 20-year public-private partnership contract by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) under which Trillium will design, build, operate and maintain 29 compressed natural gas (CNG) facilities in Pennsylvania.
PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards made the announcement during a media event at Johnston, Pennsylvania.
"This is an expansive project that will provide cleaner-burning fuel at a stable cost for transit authorities and residents in dozens of communities," said Bill Cashmareck, general manager of natural gas for Love's. "This agreement highlights Trillium's record of partnering with the public sector and we look forward to building on that strength."
The locations will supply CNG to more than 1,600 CNG buses at transit agencies across the state.
"The department is excited to partner on this project that will bring benefits for the state, our transit partners and the public for years to come," Richards said. "The project's aggressive schedule means that we'll realize cost, environmental and operational benefits quickly."
The majority of the facilities will be for private use.
Seven locations will serve the motoring public, including light, medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The fueling sites will be strategically placed throughout the state to give fleets and motorists convenient access to more CNG locations. The agreement also includes CNG-related updates to existing transit maintenance and storage facilities.
PennDOT selected Trillium for this public-private partnership because of the company's background and experience in managing comparable projects and their understanding of PennDOT's needs, Cashmareck said.
"This agreement affirms Love's continued commitment to the CNG industry," said Cashmareck. "Pennsylvania is one of the largest producers of natural gas and this project will help sustain one of the state's most valuable industries."
The locations will be constructed over the next five years, greatly increasing the number of CNG facilities currently open in the state.
According to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, Pennsylvania has 61 CNG facilities, 35 of which are open to the public.
Pennsylvania-based firms Larson Design Group and American Natural will assist with the implementation of the locations.
Love's Travel Stops operates five travel stops in Pennsylvania, while Trillium operates three CNG facilities in the state.
Trillium has developed several other sites that are now operated by third parties.
PennDOT also expects transit agencies and the department to see significant savings due to the project. Based on current CNG, diesel and gasoline prices as well as fuel usage, agencies can save a total of more than $10 million annually. Due to these expected savings, transit agencies' sustainability is increased and dependency on state operational subsidies is reduced. After 10 years, the department estimates that the project will pay for itself with the estimated $100 million in savings.
"With Pennsylvania's natural gas resources, this project will not only bring efficiencies for transit agencies and the state, but we're also helping establish a foothold for the CNG transportation market in areas that may not have seen this opportunity for some time," Richards said.
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