Clean Energy Fuels Facility. Image Source: NGV Global News.
A pilot program based out of Gary, Indianapolis designed to retrofit vehicles so that they are able to use natural gas is resulting in thousands of dollars in savings for United States Steel Corp. The company is so excited about the results that it is planning to expand the project.
It’s always encouraging to hear about the ways large steel corporations are working to reduce their carbon footprint.
United States Steel Corp started operating a compressed natural gas fueling station in December. During that time it retrofitted seven vehicles. According to senior vice president Michael Williams, the pilot project cost a total of $600,000 – $490,000 of that went towards the construction of a fueling station.
So far, the project has saved a reported $12,500, according to the Times of Munster. Reports from U.S. Steel confirm that the reduction in the use of fossil fuels has helped reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other pollutants that are being released into the air.
“Environmental stewardship is a core value of our company,” Mr. Williams said in a press release that was published on the Canadian Business website. “We saw this as an opportunity to lower our greenhouse gas footprint. We operate a significant number of vehicles inside the plant. We see it as an opportunity to showcase to others it can be done. We think the shale natural gas availability is a game changer in terms of energy independence for this country.”
Back in June, U.S. Steel initiated another, similar pilot project in Pittsburgh. The station fuels vehicles in an impressive five to six minutes – a faster rate than the cars in the Gary pilot – but it was built with a larger budget, to accommodate for the emergency vehicles that the Pittsburgh station services.
U.S. Steel is interested in expanding its use of natural gas to other vehicles, including front-end loaders.
