Clean Energy Fuels Corp. Message Board
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Does CNG save money? Our FOX 13 investigation’s result
SALT LAKE CITY – Last fall, FOX 13 started an investigation to see how much money we could save with natural gas, and the results are in.
FOX 13 spends about $10,000 a month on gasoline for our news vehicles, which adds up to an average of $500 per vehicle every month.
EnergyWise approached FOX 13 about a project to see whether natural gas would be a money-saver for the station, so we converted one of our news vehicles to a bi-fuel system, which means it burns either gasoline or compressed natural gas.
The conversion process took four days to complete and was labor-intensive. EnergyWise says the conversion would cost about $7,000 on average.
Supporters say CNG is a cheaper alternative to gasoline, plus it pumps fewer pollutants into the air.
To see whether CNG is truly the better option, we had FOX 13 News reporter Ashton Goodell drive the car around for seven months.
“Well, at first we had to take it in for maintenance maybe like once a month for the first three or four months. But it has gotten a lot better,” Ashton said.
Ashton can sometimes drive 100 to 200 miles a day.
“One week I went to Moab and Huntington and Price. I mean, we cover this state,” she said.
So we’ve been keeping track of the numbers to see how quickly we should break even on the cost of conversion.
EnergyWise says it should take us four-and-a-half years. Tune in to News at Nine on Thursday to see what we found out. -
Is Chevrolet readying a CNG-powered Impala (article title)
Our best guess is that it could debut for the 2015 model year, since the ninth-generation model is carrying over for fleet-only sales as the 2014 Impala Limited.
May 20 Autoblog
( I was thinking it could be a WPRT GM JV production.) - Reply to
This dog can't run. Just can't seem to get going from it's big loss in stock
by bigg_redd_rockett •May 17, 2013 9:34 AMThis could help someday. Russia
Rosneft signs agreements with Volkswagen Group Rus and KAMAZ to boost natural gas vehicles and fuel in Russia
15 May 2013
Volkswagen. The agreement with Volkswagen envisages the development of CNG filling infrastructure, equipment of Rosneft filling stations with facilities to provide CNG sales, as well as bringing to the market CNG-powered vehicles of Volkswagen, Audi, ŠKODA and VW Commercial Vehicles.
The parties also intend to develop service infrastructure for CNG-powered vehicles, supply special equipment to service stations and train personnel. -
Baker Hughes: Weekly U.S. Gas Rig Count Rises by 4 to 354
Published May 17, 2013
Dow Jones Newswires
The number of natural gas drilling rigs working in the U.S. rose by four in the latest week to 354, according to oil field services company Baker Hughes Inc. (BHI).
The figure was down 246 from a year ago.
The number of oil rigs fell by four rigs, to 1,408. The number of working oil rigs was up 26 from a year ago. -
blue green and brown
excerpts from nypost
That’s our advice for Andrew Cuomo. By West, we mean California, where he would do well to ask his fellow Democratic governor — Jerry Brown — why good liberals should support fracking. In a budget-focused press conference this week, Brown put it this way:
“I have to balance my strong commitment to dealing with climate change, renewable energy, to what could be a fabulous economic opportunity,” Brown said. “This could be good. But there are issues. And I want to look at it.”
As well he should: The state’s Monterey Shale formation, stretching from Los Angeles to San Francisco, holds an estimated 15.5 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Fracking could mean as many as 500,000 jobs by 2015 and 2.8 million by 2020.
Though Brown has legislators pushing for a New York-style moratorium, he says that fracking represents a “fabulous economic opportunity” that California must figure out how to make happen. Note the difference in tone from Cuomo, whose delays have only energized opponents and made the possibility of an economic boom for upstate New York more remote.
Last Updated: 12:56 AM, May 16, 2013
Posted: May 16, 2013 -
Dave answered a question in the CC about who was expecting to buy the higher price premium engines.
Who would be targeted. As the majority of trucks in China are independent owner operated and aren't all that interested in paying more to be more "sophisticated".
Daves answer was the oil and gas industry that have fleet trucks. And he sees more and more fleets being organized as we speak so to speak that would go for the premium. So once again, one must believe in Dave's visions for the future.
I'm still undecided on whether or not Dave is a film flam man. - Reply to
hmmm. no revenues, no product, small tiny little office, one employee
by nobama_man •May 5, 2013 11:53 PMThe analyst Merrimen I think the name is, also said they expect OMTK to receive CARB certification
in the latter part of May. That should give a thinly traded stock like this a boost I'd think .When the announcement is made. -
RALEIGH, N.C. -
It's a passionate debate in North Carolina, but fracking is moving forward in the Old North State. The next step is deciding how to drill for natural gas without adversely impacting the environment.
The process of fracking involves pumping millions of gallons of chemically treated water about two miles into the ground at an extremely high pressure. That pressure then causes fracturing of the shale formation, which pushes natural gas up to the surface.
The process, though, also pushes millions of gallons of now toxic water to the surface.
"It's actually a toxic waste problem that we just deal with," said Scott Bolin, CEO of Tethis. "When you are doing mining or any kind of industrial processing, you end up generating millions and millions of gallons of water that is very salty."
Bolin says Tethis has created a biodegradable foam that could transform that toxic problem.
The sponge was created by two professors in the forestry department at N.C. State who were trying to figure out what to do with waste that comes out of the pulp and paper industry. So they mixed it with seashells and created the material that now makes up Tethex sponge.
Tethex binds with dissolved salts, mineral and other materials, allowing them to be physically removed from waste water.
Scott says the material is the key to soaking up dangerous metals, nuclear material and salt, which is produced during the highly controversial practice of fracking.
In the past, the water was dumped into what are called re-injection wells; which means, in the last 30 years, 70 trillion gallons of the water has been dumped back into the ground. Tethis says, with its fracking sponge, that water can be re-used.
But to absorb that much water, Tethis needs a really big sponge.
"We need to be able to generate thousands of tons a year of this sponge," Tethis co-founder Ryan Chan said.
Tethis only officially became a business about six months ago when it began as a graduate program at N.C. State. Recently the company scored an $800,000 investor, and the budding business is now banking on its sponge to bring success and a cleaner Earth.
Bolin is optimistic that Tethis will have a million-dollar client by the end of the year.
Posted: May 14, 2013 5:55 PM EDT
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 5:55 PM EST
Updated: May 14, 2013 6:05 PM EDT
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 6:05 PM EST
By Melanie Sanders -
(excerpts)
A bill to regulate horizontal hydraulic fracturing in Illinois is ready to move forward, according sources in Springfield who have been negotiating the bill behind closed doors.
If passed, the law would open Illinois to massive drilling operations. Oil and gas is believed trapped in the southern part of the state, around what is known as the New Albany shale play. The 60,000-square-mile area also encompasses parts of Indiana and Kentucky. Energy companies have been busy buying up the right to drill for oil with the technology beneath large swaths of Southern Illinois.
Chicago Tribune
By Julie Wernau
Tribune reporter
2:26 p.m. CDT, May 14, 201 -
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) will introduce legislation Wednesday calling for increased drilling on U.S. federal lands to displace Iranian oil on the world market, according to a copy of the bill obtained by The Hill.
The bill requires the president to establish enough “Iranian Oil Replacement Zones” on federal lands to produce 1.25 million barrels of oil per day — approximately the amount Iran exports every day.
An Inhofe aide told The Hill that would divert oil the U.S. imports from Saudi Arabia and elsewhere to nations that still buy Iranian crude, such as China, India and Japan. The goal is to give President Obama wiggle room to enforce full sanctions on Iranian oil by ending waivers awarded to some nations.
etc. thehill 5/14/2013 -
Out of curiosity because I can't think of any. Who do you think could swoop down in the North American market as a serious competitor to WPRT?
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NG-Powered Vehicles
for Industrial Freight
Results of Second Annual Carrier Survey Indicate Growing Interest
(excerpt)
There is growing carrier interest in the adoption of LNG-powered vehicles for heavy-duty trucking (gross vehicle weight of 80,000 lbs. or more). Survey data indicates that 9% of carriers expect to purchase an LNG truck in 2013 or at some later date, compared with a 1% intent to purchase in 2012 – a significant jump.
2013 survey results indicate a major shift in attitude toward LNG vehicles for heavy-duty trucking. As shown in Figure 2, the percent of respondents who feel there will be no adoption or limited adoption went from 72% in 2012 down to 48% in 2013. In contrast, the percent of carriers that believe LNG vehicles will be widely adopted or present a viable alternative to diesel went from just 28% in 2012 to 52% in 2013.
This attitude shift is even more pronounced among large carriers (fleet size of 100 or more). An analysis of survey responses based on carrier size (Figure 3), shows that 59% of large carriers believe LNG trucks will play an important role in heavy-duty trucking compared to 46% of carriers with a fleet size below 100. One reason large carriers are, in
general, more bullish on LNG adoption is that, compared to small carriers, they regard the incremental cost of NGVs as less of a barrier to adoption (see page 5).
Carriers told us, in follow-up interviews, that increased enthusiasm about LNG-powered trucks is due, in part, to the recent progress of engine makers. In 2013, four new 12-liter LNG engines, designed for Class-8 tractors, will be introduced. The heavy-duty carriers we spoke to indicate a preference for engines with 450-550 horsepower and 1600-1800 lb.-ft. of torque. The Westport 15-liter natural gas engine is in this range and the new 12- and 13-liter engines coming on the market get closer to the desired power requirement.
plslogistics -
May 14, 2013. President Vladimir Putin threw his weight behind a drive to fuel more Russian vehicles with cleaner-burning and cheaper natural gas on Tuesday, saying the economic and environmental benefits were clear.
A transition to using natural gas as a transportation fuel would reduce emissions in Russia - the world's fourth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases - by two to three times, Putin said.
That would also boost the fortunes of state energy giant Gazprom whose net profit fell 10 percent in 2012 due to weak gas prices and flagging demand from austerity-ravaged Europe.
Putin explained at a meeting that gas is cheaper than gasoline or diesel fuel, besides it reduces emissions. He added that twenty percent of global natural gas is concentrated in Russia and this is a clear competitive advantage.
Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev has also called for more natural gas fuelled transport, saying Russia cannot not afford to ignore the global trend. According to a resolution Medvedev signed on Monday, more than 50 percent of buses in major Russian cities will be switched to run on natural gas.
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said there remained significant challenges to wide-spread, natural gas powered transport in Russia including no regulatory framework and a lack of refueling infrastructure, with only 200 stations in the country.
The Russian government spent 3.5 billion roubles (USD 112 million) on gas-powered buses in 2012, he said at the meeting with Putin.
Gazprom plans to invest 1 billion roubles (USD 31.92 million) and build 17 gas stations in 2013 to service new vehicles, while Russia's top oil producer Rosneft plans to allocate 60 billion roubles (USD 1.9 billion) to build 1.000 stations, according to Novak. -
Summarize：It's said Silverbus delivered 30 900i NG buses to Liaoning Huyue Silverbus 900i LNG bus, newly developed based on the company's representative model-900i, is a monocoque one with LNG powertrain and fuel supply system, besides the consistently fashionable and elegant appearance.
Weichai WP10NG3365E50 NG engine of Nation V standard is more delicate, stable and with longer service life. Less noise of NG engine, compared with diesel engine, offers passengers a quieter and more comforting environment.
After the 10000km-run test, the sample bus is satisfactory in reliability, durability, maneuverability and economic efficiency. Besides, 500L LNG gas cylinders are able to guarantee the running of 800km, suitable for long-distance transport. Compared with diesel buses, CNY 0.14 million of fuel consumption can be saved per year. -
May 10, 2013. In March 2013, 100 units of King Long XMQ6106G buses and 110 units of King Long XMQ6931G buses were officially delivered to the Bus Company in Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China. And now they are already put into operation to contribute to the local public transportation as well as the environment.
In 2013, Dongguan Bus Company has totally purchased 262 units of liquefied natural gas (LNG) buses and coaches from King Long Bus. These new energy buses will replace the traditional diesel buses to help to improve the environmental condition in the local area.
By the end of 2015, Dongguan City plans to weed out all the high pollution emissions of buses. On January 13th 2013, the local government in Dongguan City released the subsidy project on the new LNG buses. Each bus will get 70.000 Yuan (USD 11.393) subsidy. It is estimated that Dongguan City will invest 800 million Yuan (USD 130.2 million) subsidy to realize weeding out the high pollution emissions of buses by the end of 2015.
Comparing to the traditional operation diesel buses in Dongguan City, the new energy buses have its obvious advantage in the emission. The tail gas of the new energy buses almost realizes the zero release. The new energy buses reduce by 97% on the carbon monoxide emissions, 24% on the carbon dioxide emissions and 90% on the sulfur dioxide emissions.
Besides, on April 9th, by the end of 2013, each town in Dongguan City will establish at least one natural gas vehicle gas filling station to realize the complete coverage of stations in the city. -
No, not yet. More likely someone like Wartsilla or Rolls Royce.
Can't read this article because I don't subscribe to bunker world, but I'm pretty sure WPRT isn't in it.
bunkerworld (subscription)-May 3, 2013
WSF is in the process of evaluating bids from engine makers Rolls Royce ... retrofit six Issaquah ferries with liquefired natural gas (LNG) fuel systems. ... burn an aggregate total of about 300,000 gallons of diesel fuel a month.
(WSF = Washington State Ferries) -
CLNE has quarterly report wednesday a.m. Investors might be optimistic about it.
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Yes, but you need to go another country like Italy.
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"in part"
Thanks in part to the use of a new composite CNG tank from 3M, the cost of the CNG conversion from Venchurs Vehicle Systems has dropped by a staggering $2550, from $10,900 to $8350. This puts the cost of a CNG bi-fuel conversion right around the same ballpark as a factory diesel powertrain option, which runs $8095 in the Ford, $8395 in the Silverado and Sierra HD, and $8295 in the Ram HD with the automatic transmission. -
Same here, I sold out more than a year ago. I'm still a bull on NGV's but am not in a rush to get back into WPRT. Demers himself has said investors don't care about profits. WPRT just keeps getting into more and more JV's with promises down the road somewhere. They are branching out into passenger car conversions also where there is lots of competition. I wish they would of just stayed with the heavy duty. China is also disappointing, fantastic growth but only peanuts for WPRT.
They keep kicking the profit can the road, but I am still very much interested in WPRT but not enough to buy the stock right now.