Natural gas: It’s domestic, burns cleaner and is more affordable than diesel.
Now, more natural gas-powered trucks likely will cross Jacksonville’s highways.
That’s because Jacksonville’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station for the public is under construction on the Southside. A second station planned near the port is in the engineering phase.
Trillium CNG, a national provider of CNG fueling for heavy-duty fleets, has begun construction on a $1.9 million station at 9711 Mining Drive. The build-out will take eight to 10 weeks.
Its first customer will be Champion Brands, a local beer distributor just up the street at 5571 Florida Mining Blvd. S. The trucking company has a fueling contract with Trillium and will serve as an “anchor tenant” for the site.
Trillium will build its second fueling station on Hecksher Drive in partnership with Gate Petroleum, according to Anddrikk Frazier, the company’s regional development manager for the Southeast. It’s seeking two other sites in Jacksonville.
“We’re trying to make it comfortable for trucking companies to convert to natural gas,” Frazier said.
Having a network of fueling stations for CNG trucks matters. Without it, companies cannot convert their fleets.
Earl Benton, president and general manager of Champion Brands, timed his purchase of 10 CNG trucks to coincide with the opening of Trillium’s Southside station.
“I would have been in business using CNG three years ago if I had a place to get fuel,” Benton said.
Benton began using his CNG trucks Oct. 1, aided by a mobile station Trillium provided until the permanent station opens.
Diesel costs around $3.90 per gallon. CNG is about $2 per gallon cheaper, Benton said. Oil stays cleaner and engines last 10 years instead of eight. Also, CNG burns cleaner.
The drawback is CNG engines cost about $50,000 more than diesel. But Florida in 2013 passed tax incentives to help with that.
Sponsored by State Rep. Lake Ray, HB 579 provides $25,000 in tax credits for each truck converted to natural gas.
Because of that, Benton will recover his costs in 20-24 months. He plans to convert all of the 40 large diesel trailers in his fleet to CNG within three years.
Chicago-based Trillium’s growth strategy is to provide 101 public-access CNG stations nationwide by the end of 2016. Jacksonville fits the plan of locating those stations near key shipping lanes and along major interstate highways.
Also, Frazier said Trillium was attracted by the recent and anticipated growth at the Port of Jacksonville –– which drives goods and trucks that carry them to fueling stations nearby.
“Jacksonville is probably the most economical port on the eastern seaboard,” Frazier said.
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