Frito-Lay North America, whose fleet has been a leading example of successful alternative fuel deployment, has opened its first compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station, in Beloit, Wis.
This facility inaugurates the company's wider CNG refueling initiative, which will see three more stations come online and an additional seven break ground in 2013 alone. This refueling network will primarily support Frito-Lay's own heavy-duty natural gas truck fleet, which will soon exceed 200 tractors. That number of trucks will represent 20% of the company's fleet.
The Beloit station, along with the seven new facilities breaking ground this year, will also be available to other natural gas vehicle fleets.
These stations are all a result of a Frito-Lay request for proposals that was issued last year and ultimately brought two CNG refueling partners on board: Questar Fueling and Trillium CNG. Questar will build facilities in Killingly, Conn., and Topeka, Kan. Trillium CNG constructed the Beloit station and will also build sites in Orlando; Charlotte; Jonesboro, Ark.; Rosenberg, Texas; and Perry, Ga.
