CH4 Energy Corporation (CH4 Energy) set the first bulk Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) storage tank on its permanent foundation this week, marking a significant milestone in the construction of the premier retail natural-gas fueling station in North America. The station, developed with funding support from a Utah Clean Cities Coalition administered, Department of Energy/Recovery Act grant, is co-located on the state-of-the-art Flying J/Pilot travel plaza at the intersection of Interstate 80and Interstate 15 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
CH4 Energy expects the station to be fully operational within five to six weeks. The station will dispense Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and LNG faster than any public Natural Gas fueling station in North America. Clean, domestic natural-gas vehicle fuels have the potential to have a significant positive impact on air quality in the state of Utah and the United States. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that North America has well over a 100 year supply of clean natural gas.
According to CH4 Energy CEO Merritt Norton: "This station will be the premier public natural-gas fueling station in North America and will be a great asset to the state of Utah, which is leading North America in the deployment of vehicles using clean, domestically produced natural gas. The station will also provide a critical interstate fueling infrastructure link for Class 7 and Class 8 heavy-duty trucks. Utah is the only state in the country where a significant proportion of average citizens drive natural-gas vehicles, and this station—which is strategically located at the crossroads of the West, at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Interstate 15, as well as the major highway, Utah Highway 201—will provide public access to the fastest and most convenient fill up in North America for both CNG and LNG natural-gas vehicles."
The station will accept all major fleet fueling cards as well as consumer credit cards and the Utah state-fleet fueling card. The station will be open 365 days per year, 24 hours a day, with access to Class-8 truck parking, convenience store, restrooms, shower facilities, Denny's restaurant, diesel exhaust fluid, internet Wi-Fi access, drivers' lounge, and all the other amenities at this state-of-the-art Flying J/Pilot travel plaza. The station was designed from the ground up to provide ultra-fast freeway access to natural-gas vehicle fuels for every type of vehicle from the Honda Civic all the way up to the largest Class 8 tandem- and triple-trailer truck combinations. The station has separate ingress and egress lanes for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles.
About the Utah Clean Cities Coalition's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grant
Utah Clean Cities Coalition (UCCC) is one of over 90 coalitions around the country that are part of the U.S. Department of Energy's strategy to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. In 2009, UCCC was the recipient of a $14.9 million Stimulus grant, for projects with 23 partners, valued at over $52 million. The projects will bring more CNG, LNG, Biodiesel, and electric vehicles (500+) and stations (20+) to Utah, along with over 300 jobs.
UCCC Northern Director, Carrie Giles accepting the award.
