Industry consultancy and research firm Zeus Development says recent survey findings suggest that up to 50 mobile liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuelers will soon be in operation in North America serving trucking fleets and other heavy-duty industrial applications.
Several mobile fueling design concepts are being deployed by at least six manufacturers, Zeus says. Some concepts rely on transport trailers for on-site storage, while others integrate storage tanks into self-contained transportable units. Some come with sophisticated metering and dispensing systems for commercial transfer at the time of vehicle fueling, and others are equipped with pumps and vaporization systems for high-volume discharge.
The most rapidly growing market for mobile fueling is on-land oil and gas exploration and production. Survey data suggests that 30 units will soon be used to fuel large reciprocating engines and turbines that produce electricity for drilling and fracturing operations. Leaders in this area include Prometheus Energy, Linde and Encana.
‘Truck fleets, though, are coming up fast,’ says Tom Campbell, Zeus' LNG fuel analyst. ‘We estimate 20 mobile fuelers will soon be used to supply LNG to truck fleets. More often, these units require sophisticated dispensing systems.’
The key advantage of mobile fueling for the likes of truck fleets is that these fuelers allow consumers to obtain supply quickly without significant on-site engineering and construction, Zeus says.
The company will be hosting a one-day meeting in Houston on June 25 to discuss this trend. More info can be found HERE.
