Questar Fueling Company, a subsidiary of integrated natural gas company Questar Corporation, has opened, and will operate, the nation’s largest compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling facility in Houston, Texas. It will serve up to 200 Class-8 natural gas-powered trucks operated by Central Freight Lines and Swift Transportation.
It will also be open to other fleets and the general public who drive natural gas vehicles (NGVs).
Questar Corporation custom designs, builds and operates CNG-stations for fleets.
Less-than-truckload (LTL) general commodities carrier Central Freight Lines and transportation and truckload carrier services Swift Transportation are projected to use about 5 million diesel-gallon equivalents of natural gas per year.
The majority of the trucks will use a private time-fill facility in which the trucks fill when parked. The remainder will use a five-lane, high-speed-fueling facility with public access for anyone driving an NGV.
“We’re pleased to work with such high-profile trucking firms as Central Freight Lines and Swift Transportation,” said Craig Wagstaff, executive vice president and COO of Questar Fueling. “We’re confident their move to CNG will provide environmental and economic benefits that will positively impact their businesses, customers and the communities in which they operate.
“It’s already paying off. Every NGV motorist driving along Mesa Road now has a new place to refuel, and those who live and work in the area can breathe a little easier.”
“This is the first of three CNG-fueling facilities we will have across Texas,” said Don Orr, president and CEO of Central Freight Lines. “Our plans are to expand our fleet in the future with the addition of strategically located CNG stations to support our operations.
“Improving our transportation efficiencies is something our customers expect from us. Switching to abundant, clean-burning and domestically produced natural gas will help us improve efficiencies, operate more economically, reduce pollution and support our local economy.”
“There’s no denying it,” said Jerry Moyes, chairman, founder and CEO of Swift Transportation. “Natural gas is playing an important part in transportation, and our partnership with Questar Fueling is helping to make our transition to it much easier.
“With this, our first commercial-private partnership station, we demonstrate our commitment to natural gas as a transportation fuel.”
