RNG NEWS
Stay up to date with the latest stories, insights, and announcements.Trucking: Clean Fuels, Heavy Loads and Prospects for Cleaner Fuels in Freight Fleets
Trucking has, like other parts of the American economy, taken a punch from COVID. April’s job losses in the sector – estimated at 88,000 or 5.8% of the workforce per the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – were enough to eliminate all job gains in trucking since September 2014. Total separations in the larger BLS umbrella category of Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities in March and April topped 900,000. And while BLS reported net job gains of 8,100 in trucking for June, there’s still a lot of ground to regain for the industry. Short version – from February to July, total trucking employment was down about 6%.
There is good news, though, some hiding in plain sight on the calendar. As summer winds down, the pre-Christmas shipping season winds up. And as the retail rush begins, lower overall capacity means shippers have been able to boost rates. Spot dry rates have risen from around $1.35 in May to more than $2.00 in August. FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index spiked from a record low of -28.66 in April to a 11.35 in June, the highest reading in a decade. Better yet, net trailer orders in July were up 84% YOY, with 173,000 units ordered in the preceding 12 months. But the sector’s long-term issues remain – driver shortages, infrastructure, and trade friction among them. And hanging over everything is the uncertain direction of the American economy, driven by consumer sentiment, intertwined with an ongoing pandemic.
By ACT News
The Potential for Renewable Natural Gas in Truck Fleets
The end goal for much of transportation is to "electrify everything." But the reality is that today, when the market for heavy-duty electric trucks is still nascent, there are other cost-effective and low-emission fuel options that fleets that run big vehicles — such as garbage trucks or semi-trucks — are embracing.
An important one is renewable natural gas (RNG), biogas collected from sites that have decomposing organic matter, such as landfills, farms and wastewater treatment plants. RNG is interesting because, depending on the source, the fuel actually can be emissions-negative, meaning the collective project and fuel remove more greenhouse gases than they produce.
By Katie Fehrenbacher, Green Biz
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. Inks RNG Deals With Multiple Cities
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. announced Sept. 10 new and extended contracts for more than 20 million gallons of Redeem renewable natural gas (RNG) to accommodate the continued demand across key business segments for the ultra-low carbon fuel produced from organic waste.
Alpha Lion, which carries mail for the U.S. Postal Service between the Northwest United States and Southern California, is adding 16 new natural gas trucks to its fleet through Clean Energy’s Zero Now program and is expected to use over 700,000 gallons of Redeem annually. The program will provide significant fuel savings and have a positive impact on Alpha Lion’s environmental impact in the region.
By Trucking Info
Estes Partners with Clean Energy to Expand RNG Vehicle Fleet
Clean Energy Fuels Corp., the leading provider of natural gas fuel for transportation in North America, announced that Estes Express Lines will add to its fleet 50 new trucks fueled with Redeem renewable natural gas (RNG), bringing its total to 71.
Estes, the nation’s largest privately-owned freight transportation carrier, is acquiring the Class 8 natural gas trucks equipped with the Cummins Westport ultra-clean ISX12N engine for its California fleet, and is expected to use an approximate 2.8 million gallons of RNG over the seven-year contract.
By Biomass Magazine
Nikola, Hyliion Defend Divergent Paths to zero-emission Trucking
Hybrid electric powertrain maker Hyliion Inc. is working on a hydrogen fuel cell version of its Class 8 ERX Hypertruck. But don’t be confused. The long-term plan still calls for a renewable natural gas-powered generator to make electricity onboard, according to CEO Thomas Healy.
Using any fossil fuel, renewable or not, is a pathway to failure, said Trevor Milton, founder and executive chairman of startup Nikola Corp. (NASDAQ: NKLA) Nikola plans to build and sell grid-powered battery-electric trucks next year followed by hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks in 2023.
By Freight Waves
Lower Your University’s Environmental Footprint
Businesses aren’t the only ones taking environmental action these days. Universities are also setting carbon reduction goals to bolster sustainability performance. An area of emerging focus is thermal energy, specifically emissions generated from heating-related activities. Whether in the classroom, library, dining halls or dormitories, heating needs are responsible for a significant portion of a university’s environmental footprint. So, what can be done?
Understand your options.
Three renewable thermal energy solutions exist that can lower thermal energy emissions from your campus.
1. Renewable natural gas (RNG) is a readily available solution that comes without infrastructure costs and is available regardless of weather conditions. RNG is made from decomposing waste at farms, landfills, food waste collection areas and wastewater treatment plants. The benefit? It’s already in existing natural gas pipelines, where you’re likely drawing heat from today.
By U.S. Gain
Revived Iowa Ethanol Plant Upgraded to Produce RNG to Meet Demand in California
A German bioenergy company is preparing to produce corn ethanol and renewable natural gas at the site of a failed cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada, Iowa.
Verbio Vereinigte BioEnergie AG is building an anaerobic digester on the site that will annually convert up to 100,000 tons of corn stover — a crop leftover consisting of everything but the kernel — into a renewable fuel that can be fed into the nation’s natural gas pipeline system. Verbio hopes to begin production by fall of 2021.
By Energy News
Smithfield Pledges to be Carbon Negative in 10 years
Smithfield Foods Inc. announced on Sept. 3, plans to being carbon negative in all company-owned operations in the United States by 2030.
Carbon negative — opposed to carbon neutral— means the company removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits and will reach the goal without purchasing carbon credit to offset emissions.
“As the world grapples with environmental challenges impacting our planet, consumers are looking to companies to take deliberate, bold action to address issues such as climate change,” said Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield. “The world is at an inflection point. To feed a growing world population, with finite resources available to grow and produce the food we need, we must limit our environmental impact. At Smithfield, we are utilizing our expansive reach to lead efforts to eliminate our carbon footprint in our company-owned operations and remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.”
By Meat Poultry
Basketball-dedicated Bus Travels the U.S. on Renewable Natural Gas
In August, the Hoop Bus Coast to Coast campaign began: the bus that travels across the country, from Venice, California, to Venice, Florida, and to Washington, DC. With stops in various cities and communities throughout its journey, the team will dedicate its efforts to the world of basketball, by rebuilding courts, organizing training camps, handing out equipment and changing perspectives.
The Hoop Bus team will not only focus on having a positive impact on communities, but is taking steps to positively impact the environment. Hoop Bus partnered with American Natural Gas (ANG) to power its coast-to-coast journey with the cleanest fuel available today. The bus runs entirely on renewable natural gas, the number one green alternative fuel, offering low or negative carbon emissions.
By NGV Journal
Mitsubishi Offers the World’s First Green Hydrogen Standard Packages for Power Balancing and Energy Storage
Mitsubishi Power — a world leader in power generation and short- and long-duration energy storage — accelerates the path toward 100% carbon-free power generation by launching the world’s first standard packages for green hydrogen integration. Intermittent renewable capacity is expected to almost quadruple by 2050,* and recent power shortages in California and elsewhere have elevated industry concerns that power balancing and energy storage are essential components to successfully operate a low-carbon power grid. Mitsubishi Power’s standard packages cut through the complexity power generators and grid operators encounter when integrating renewable power, gas turbines, green hydrogen and other energy storage technologies. In addition to two previously announced hydrogen projects, Mitsubishi Power has been selected as the green hydrogen storage integrator for three projects, totaling more than $3 billion, using its new standard packages.
Mitsubishi Power’s integrated green hydrogen solutions are the Hydaptive™ package and the Hystore™ package. The Hydaptive™ package provides renewable energy flexibility by acting as a near-instantaneous power balancing resource that greatly enhances the ability of a simple cycle or combined cycle power plant to ramp output up and down to provide grid balancing services. It integrates a hydrogen and natural gas fueled gas turbine power plant with electrolysis to produce green hydrogen using 100% renewable power and onsite storage of green hydrogen. Patent-pending TOMONITM software and controls enable rapid load response by integrating operations of the gas turbines and the electrolysis plants. The package is available for new gas turbine power plants or as a retrofit to existing plants to improve flexibility and extend asset life.
By Mitsubishi Power
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