One leading provider of natural gas and transportation fuel has started pumping in Hunts Point.
Clean Energy Fuels Corporation joined NYC Department of Transportation Bronx Borough Commissioner Nivardo Lopez and others to cut the proverbial ribbon on the company’s newest clean energy fueling station in the borough on Wednesday, July 10.
This is the first station in New York City that exclusively offers renewable natural gas for medium and heavy-duty vehicle fleets, according to Clean Energy Fuels.
Essentially, it’s the first kind of solely clean fuel stop for 18-wheelers and other massive trucks in the five boroughs.
It’s going to be utilized by Bronx truck fleets that include neighboring Baldor Specialty Foods, Manhattan Beer Distributors and U.S. Concrete, which were all displayed at the facility’s grand opening.
“A few blocks from here is Hunts Point Market, the largest food distribution center of its kind in the world, resulting in approximately 15,000 truck trips per day,” said Clean Energy’s vice president of sales Chad Lindholm.
He continued to explain about how this long-envisioned station will serve fleets operating in Hunts Point with a lower-cost alternative to diesel fuel that can lead to substantial reductions in truck-related pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The clean fuel is derived from capturing biogenic methane emitted from decomposing organic materials at dairies, landfills and wastewater treatment plants, the company said. More than that, it enables at least 70 percent reduction in carbon emissions when displacing diesel or gasoline, according to environmental estimates.
“The addition of this station now makes possible and plausible the transition of large portions of Hunts Point fleet industries to this cleaner, domestically produced fuel,” Lopez said upon cutting the ribbon.
Clean Energy also explained that any trucks fueling cleanly represent a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. As a matter of fact, 100 trucks running on the renewable fuel can lower green house gasses as much as 9,294 metric tons annually, according to Clean Energy.
That’s equivalent to planting 237,942 trees, removing 1,961 cars off the road or recycling 3,331 tons of waste that would otherwise be sent to a landfill.
“Natural Gas trucks, particularly ones fueled by renewable natural gas, have a tremendously low carbon footprint, which is important for communities disproportionately affected by diesel emissions,” Lopez continued.
In addition to Hunts Point, Clean Energy operates four natural gas stations in New York City, consisting of stations at LaGuardia and JFK Airports, and two stations in Brooklyn.
