Tourmaline Oil Corp. and Clean Energy Fuels Corp. are partnering to build and operate a network of compressed natural gas (CNG) stations along key highway corridors across western Canada.
Through this 50-50 shared investment, Tourmaline and Clean Energy expect to construct and commission up to 20 CNG stations over the next five years, which will allow heavy-duty trucks and other commercial transportation fleets that operate in the area to transition to the use of CNG.
Clean Energy says it will operate all of the stations.
Logistics company Mullen Group Ltd. has indicated its support for the initiative as an early adopter and expects to use the network of stations to fuel its growing fleet of CNG-powered trucks.
“Tourmaline is Canada’s largest natural gas producer, and innovation is at the heart of everything we do. So, this partnership with Clean Energy is a natural fit,” says Michael Rose, chairman, president and CEO of Tourmaline. “Across our operations, we have achieved significant emission reductions and cost savings by displacing higher-emitting fuels with natural gas. Thanks to this exciting initiative, we’re able to help the transportation industry do the same.”
Based on the anticipated commissioning of up to 20 stations over the next five years, approximately 3,000 natural gas-powered trucks could be fueled using CNG every day, the companies say. As demand increases, the capacity of these stations can be expanded and new stations added.
The first station expected to be jointly owned under the agreement, located north of Edmonton, is operational and well-positioned for heavy-haul transport routes with close proximity to key customers and stakeholders.
The next stations Tourmaline and Clean Energy expect to commission in the first half of 2024 are anticipated to be located within the municipalities of Calgary and Grande Prairie in Alberta and Kamloops, B.C.
