This week Shell opened its second LNG fueling station in California near a bustling interstate in the northern part of the Golden State.
The news follows the company’s announcement earlier this year of its LNG fueling lanes in Texas and Louisiana.
This latest fueling lane at a TravelCenters of America location in Santa Nella will provide LNG fueling service for trucks traveling out of the Los Angeles area, including Ontario, up along the heavily traveled U.S. Interstate 5 corridor.
“I am excited by the progress we have made in developing the LNG fuelling network in the U.S.,” Elen Phillips, Shell’s vice president of fuels sales and marketing for North America, said Tuesday. “LNG is a viable fuel option for truck owners and more are making the switch to LNG.”
Shell’s first LNG fueling station in the U.S. was opened in California in 2014. Since then, the network has grown to seven sites across the U.S. and Canada.
According to Shell, heavy-duty truck fleet owners are increasingly choosing LNG fuel over traditional diesel because it can be cost-competitive for trucks that cover long distances. It is cleaner than diesel in terms of sulphur, particulates and nitrogen oxides, and can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
As customer demand grows in the U.S., Shell and TA plan to open additional heavy-duty truck fueling lanes along interstate highways. The first station resulting from an agreement between the two companies was opened in California in May 2014, with four more LNG stations operational in Texas and Louisiana since March 2015.
Besides operating LNG stations in Canada and Europe, Shell has also chartered two special LNG-powered offshore supply vessels for its deep water operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Shell is committed to developing LNG as a fuel option for marine and road transport, and we continue to look at supply opportunities in the region in balance with demand,” said Christian Buelow, Shell’s general manager of downstream LNG Americas.
”LNG is a viable fuel option for heavy-duty truck fleet owners, today.”