NGV Industry Shares Latest Developments at NGV Show in Denver

The who’s who of the natural gas vehicle (NGV) industry in North America is gathered this week in Denver, Colorado for the North American Natural Gas Vehicle Conference and Expo, hosted by NGV America.

Attendees visit the Westport booth at NGV Show 2015 in Denver

Two speakers from Westport will present at this year’s conference. Brad Douville will present methane as a performance fuel in the “Improving Performance: Advances in Powertrains, Pumps, Fill, and Range” session September 16 at 1:30 pm. In the “Retrofit Options for Cost-Effective Entry into the NGV Market” session at 3:20 pm, Paul Osbourn will present cost-effective retrofits for NGVs, also on September 16.

Bi-fuel Volvo V70 shows off during trip to Ireland with Gas Networks

Rodger O’Connor is an expert at finding solutions to problems. An engineer by training, his current challenge is to develop a market for natural gas transportation across Ireland, creating an environment friendly for both fueling stations and vehicles.

Rodger with the bi-fuel Volvo V70 on arrival in Ireland

In April, Rodger – Commercial Innovation Analyst with Gas Networks Ireland – decided to give the industry a push by borrowing a Volvo V70, powered with Westport’s bi-fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) system to give business and government leaders, along with fleet owners and staff, a chance to see the potential for natural gas vehicles in the country. 

Westport Participates in first NGV event in South Africa

Johannesburg, South Africa is host to the first ever NGV event in South Africa and the Sub-Saharan African region during NGV2014 South Africa Conference and Exhibition this week. As the most developed and influential country in the African region, South Africa is an emerging natural gas vehicle (NGV) market that shows promising growth potential with the availability of natural gas in neighbouring countries and government initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Today, in the state of Gauteng, there are about 385 taxis and buses already operating on compressed natural gas (CNG), with the Benoni Taxi Association committed converting 20 per cent of its fleet.

“We chose to hold this year’s event in South Africa because natural gas for transportation is already on the move there,” says Claudio Kohan, NGV Communications Group Director. “The government has initiated the National Climate Change Response flagship program which advocates CNG use and the Industrial Development Corporation will fund any associated infrastructure development projects through the Green Energy Efficiency Program.”

Staffing, Recruitment Firm Centric Sweden Purchases 20 New Bi-fuel Vehicles with Westport's CNG Systems

Centric Sweden, a staffing and recruitment solutions firm for the technology and health industries, has made the official switch to Volvo V60 and V70 Bi-Fuel Wagons with Westport’s technology for their fleet operations. The company had previously been using only Volkswagen Passat EcoFuel vehicles in their fleet.

“Centric Sweden’s commitment to compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles combined with Volvo’s reputation for safety and quality as well as our ability to offer the vehicles at excellent value was the driving force behind the change,” says Anders Johansson, Managing Director, Westport Sweden.

Love’s Showcases Commitment to Natural Gas Vehicles at NGV Conference and Expo; Features Westport WiNG Power System on Ford F-350 and Cummins Westport 12-liter CNG Peterbilt

When visitors visit Love’s Travel Stops & Country Store’s (Love’s) booth at this year’s Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Conference and Expo in Kansas City, Missouri, it will be evident that the convenience store and travel center giant is committed to the natural gas vehicle industry. The booth will showcase a Westport WiNG™ Power System dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) Ford F-350 truck used to service fleet operators at Love’s Truck Tire Care centres. Also featured at the bright yellow and red booth will be a mock-up version of Love’s signature Integrated In-Lane Fueling station with a Cummins Westport (CWI) 12-liter compressed natural gas (CNG) engine powered Peterbilt truck.

Nationwide, Love’s is the only travel stop that offers an integrated, in-lane fueling experience for heavy duty vehicles in every lane. These full service travel stops combine cardless radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, diesel, diesel exhaust fuel (DEF) and fast-fill CNG (where available) in a single-lane to provide time-saving convenience with access to multiple fueling solutions for operators. The Truck Tire Care centres, open 24 hours a day, offer tire care and roadside assistance to ensure trucks stay up and running.

Westport Participates in APTA EXPO 2014 with Public Transportation Products

Join Westport, a leader in natural gas engines and vehicles, at the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) EXPO 2014, the premier showcase for innovative public transportation solutions, from October 13 to 15, 2014 in Houston, Texas.

Natural gas vehicles (NGVs) are becoming a growing part of the public transportation market in North America, with cities like Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco, Denver and Atlanta shifting their bus fleets to run on this cleaner, less expensive, domestic fuel. According to NGVAmerica, there are approximately 11,000 buses currently powered by natural gas in the US and one of four buses on order today will utilize CNG as a transportation fuel.

CNG Fleet Strategy Starts at the Top: Laredo Petroleum Transitions to Westport WiNG™ Powered Ford Super Duty Trucks

At Laredo Petroleum, the use of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) starts at the top. Chairman and CEO Randy A. Foutch leads by example and walks the talk. Foutch, who is known for having compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles as his personal vehicles to drive, is also the company’s number one ambassador of the products it produces and sells.

“Our strategy for our fleet operations is a top down approach,” says Luke Duke, procurement agent for Laredo. “Not only do natural gas vehicles use a cleaner burning fuel that costs about $1 per gallon less than petroleum, as an exploration and production (E&P) company, we believe we should be using the products that we produce.”

Westport Offers Freightliner Cascadia Truck with iCE PACK™ LNG Fuel System for Test Drives

 

Westport is pleased to announce the arrival of its Freightliner Cascadia 12-liter natural gas engine demonstration truck, powered by the Westport iCE PACK™ LNG Fuel System. iCE PACK is Westport’s latest innovation that minimizes fueling time, while maximizing range and fuel savings by allowing natural gas or dual-fuel engines to burn clean, domestic liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Gas in the Fast Lane: NGVs in California’s Carpool Lane

Did you know you can drive a pickup truck in a California carpool lane, even if you’re a single occupant? But not just any pickup truck; it’s your compressed natural gas (CNG) truck that may qualify you.

Operators of model years 2014 and 2015 Ford Super Duty 6.2 liter pickup trucks equipped with a dedicated  CNG Westport WiNG™ Power System (formerly BAF Technologies) now qualify for a carpool lane decal under the Clean Air Vehicle program. California’s program for Clean Air Vehicles allows single-occupant vehicles with a valid sticker to travel in the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane.

Retweet for #FREECNG! May 7 and May 8, 2014

www.westport.com/freecng

Have you ever wanted to drive into a fuel station and fill up your vehicle for FREE?

Westport and Clean Energy Fuels are offering you that chance on May 7 and May 8, 2014 with Retweet for #FREECNG!

Enter for your chance to win a Clean Energy Fuel Card loaded with 1,000 gasoline gallon equivalents of compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel!

It’s easy to enter!

On Twitter: send a reply to @WestportDotCom using the hashtag #FREECNG

On Facebook: Write a post on Westport’s Facebook wall using the hashtag #FREECNG

A draw will be made on May 16th by Westport for the two free fuel cards after all entries are collected.

The winners will be randomly selected and all entries are subject to the official contest rules and regulations.

For more information, visit: www.westport.com/freecng

The Changing Energy Landscape, Seen through Westport's Eyes

At North America’s largest international conference on sustainable business and environmental innovation, Globe 2014, taking place March 26-28 in Vancouver, British Columbia next week, Westport Vice President of Strategy Karen Hamberg will reflect on natural gas as a viable transition fuel in the transportation landscape.

With over 9,000 attendees and more than 3,000 participating organizations at the previous biennial Globe conference 2012, this year's event promises to offer diverse perspectives on one of this year’s key themes: The Changing Energy Landscape.

Karen joins speakers from the Canadian Gas Association and FortisBC, among others, on a five member panel titled: Natural Gas: The Transition Fuel which is part of a broader energy theme at the conference. The panelists represent a diverse group of members across the industry including natural gas providers, extractors and technology creators.

2014 India Auto Expo - Westport and Tata Motors Feature Alternative Fuel Engines

At the 2014 India Auto Expo this past week in Greater Noida City (near New Delhi), Westport was a featured partner in Tata’s alternative fuel option display. The event showcases natural gas engine and technology, with about 75,000 visitors attending each day of the five day long show from February 7 - 11.

In addition to Tata, many of India’s major original vehicle manufacturers (OEMs) participated in the Expo, including Mahindra, Scania, and Eicher.

Westport’s 2013 Honourable Mentions

 As 2013 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to shine the spotlight on a few Westport highlights we thought deserved another mention. From announcing a new President, to the launch of the Westport iCE PACK™ LNG Tank System, to orders for four liquefied natural gas tenders for rail, it’s been an exciting year.

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Westport’s 2013 Honourable Mentions

Feature Focus: Nancy Gougarty – “I Always Wanted to Make Things”

As Westport’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Nancy Gougarty focuses on leading Westport on a path to profitability. We’re taking a look at what put her on the path to leadership at Westport.

When Nancy joined the Westport team in August, she brought with her 35 years of experience in the automotive industry, with multinational public companies such as Delphi, General Motors and TRW Automotive Corporation. Her key areas of success in operations and international product sales at these companies made her the perfect fit for the job.

Her path to engineering success started with her education at the University of Cincinnati where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in industrial management.

“I always wanted to make things,” she says.

Her career began in 1978 when she started with General Motors’ Packard Electric Division, first as an industrial engineer and later in various roles in application engineering, finance, operations, sales and engineering. 

Driving to the Forefront of the Trucking Industry, with First Generation HPDI

Jeff Salmon, General Manager of Denwill/Bridgeway-Ironclad Logistics, runs a fleet of 10 trucks that  have travelled aprox. 310,000 miles with 475 horsepower engines on first generation HPDI. 

Hauling a gross vehicle weight of 63,500 Kgs. of gas and diesel in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and up the Trans-Canada Highway with stops in Pemberton and the Greater Vancouver area on the way to Hope is a regular day in the life of one of Denwill’s trucks, powered with a Westport 15L featuring first generation high pressure direct injection (HPDI). 

Jeff Salmon, General Manager of Denwill/Bridgeway – Ironclad Logistics, based out of Burnaby, British Columbia, has a fleet of 10 Peterbilt Model 367 trucks hauling tanker trailers that transport petroleum products to more than 120 fuel stations and card lock locations across the Lower Mainland region. The natural gas that powers the engine is stored as liquefied natural gas (LNG) on each truck.

Bright House Networks Turns the Ignition on a Natural Gas Transit Connect

When Tom Turner, Senior Fleet Corporate Manager at Bright House Networks, attended a conference hosted by Clean Energy in California two years ago, he got an idea to help Bright House Networks operate a little brighter.

“Our company was looking for ways to reduce our footprint,” Tom said. “If we can save fuel and make the environment better, that’s what our company wants to do.”

Tom oversees a fleet of thousands of vehicles that serve approximately 2.5 million customers in Florida, Alabama, Indiana, Michigan and California. The company is the sixth largest owner and operator of cable systems in the U.S. and the second largest provider in Florida.

After meeting a representative from BAF technologies, a Westport company, Tom pursued the purchase of a dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) powered transit connect vehicle. The term “dedicated” means that the vehicle operates only on CNG and is optimized to run most efficiently on that fuel.

The CNG transit connect is one of the types of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) Bright House is using in its fleet to decrease carbon emissions.

This Bright House Transit Connect is the company's first which will run entirely on compressed natural gas (CNG).

Environmental Defense Fund and University of Texas release Production Module Results for Methane Leakage

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) yesterday released the results of the first module of a multi-partner study on methane emissions in the natural gas fuel chain, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

This study provides another important data source to assess fugitive methane emissions associated with natural gas production. According to the study results, the methane leakage rate is 2,300 gigagrams (Gg) or 0.42% of gross production, which aligns with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) latest estimates of 2,545 Gg (2011 national emissions inventory).

It’s also interesting to note that 99% of methane that could potentially be emitted is captured (or prevented from being emitted to the atmosphere), showing the progress already made by the industry. Pneumatic controllers and equipment leakage at the production site have been singled out as ongoing sources of methane emissions, giving the industry direction on where more reductions can be made.

This module is part of a series of studies that will assess the entire natural gas production, processing and supply chain. The “pump to wheels” module is expected to be released early/mid 2014. Westport is a partner in this effort and is supplying technical support to West Virginia University researchers who are field testing vehicles with Westport and Cummins Westport engines.

Westport is participating in the EDF study to improve understanding of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction benefits of commercial and heavy duty natural gas vehicles and fueling stations. Studies like this, with a range of industry partners like Shell, Volvo, Westport, Cummins Westport and fleet operators, offer the opportunity to collect data under real-world operating conditions. The study is being rigorously peer-reviewed, and will advance industry and academic knowledge about the GHG emissions reduction benefits of heavy-duty natural gas vehicles. Each of the modules will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the potential for methane leakage and opportunities for innovation and improvement.

The use of natural gas in transportation is a relatively new market; one that is evolving and improving and with the potential for deeper GHG emission reductions compared to diesel. These types of collaborations will help advance the industry, drive improvements across engines, vehicles and stations and uncover best practices to further safeguard the environmental advantages of natural gas.

Westport and EMD - Developing a Future of Natural Gas-Powered Locomotives

Getting a 4600 horsepower locomotive engine to run on natural gas isn’t something that happens every day. But that’s what Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) and Westport achieved this summer when both companies ran the EMD multi-cylinder 710 HPDI locomotive engine at the LaGrange facility. Westport also has a test rig in Vancouver.

EMD is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of diesel-electric locomotives. In December 2011, the company joined Westport, Canadian National Railway (CN) and Gaz Metro in a collaboration to demonstrate a natural gas locomotive. The work is part of a consortium project supported by $2.3 million in funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) to test Westport™ high pressure direct injection (HPDI) technology for use in high-horsepower applications.

Marti Lenz, EMD’s Director of Engine Systems, leads the project for the company from their engine testing facility in LaGrange, Illinois.

“Westport is the lead, but as the OEM we’ve got a team put together helping to ensure that the engine requirements are met and that we have a robust solution when we demonstrate this on CN in the latter part of 2014,” Marti said.

Part of the rigorous testing process currently underway involves ensuring the engine meets all of its performance parameters and emissions targets.

The EMD multi-cylinder 710 HPDI locomotive engine at the LaGrange facility in Illinois. 

According to the United Nations Statistics Division, railroads around the world burn 9 billion gallons of diesel fuel annually, largely in the transportation of freight. The development of natural gas fuelled locomotives could reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and costs associated with transporting the world’s primary resources and manufactured goods. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) produces up to 27 per cent fewer Green House Gas emissions and is currently cheaper than diesel.

Westport designed, built and installed the Westport HPDI fuel system on the engine and is also working on a high-pressure tender to carry the fuel. David Mumford, Westport’s Senior Director Off-Road Partner Development, says the technology is well-suited to high horsepower applications.

“This project is an entry point into the high horsepower world that demonstrates how Westport™ HPDI can successfully fuel engines with 10 times the horsepower of our heavy haul trucking while successfully meeting emissions.”

Westport's high horsepower locomotive test rig in Vancouver, British Columbia.

EMD first began investigating natural gas as a fuel for their engines in the 1990s.

“We got to the point where the thing that was holding us up was the fuel injector,” Marti said. “Westport had the technology to have a good fuel injector – it makes the whole thing do-able.”

EMD has a heritage of selling locomotives around the world. The company sells locomotives in over 70 countries with over 62,000 sales over the past 80 years. About 25,000 EMD locomotives are currently in use in North America.

Both Westport and EMD will be at the High Horsepower Summit in Chicago from September 17 – 19. EMD will be offering a tour of its LaGrange engine facility to key EMD rail and marine customers on an invitation only basis on the afternoon of Monday, September 16. 

Further Reading:
SDTC Agreement, February 2011:
http://www.westport.com/news/2011/westport-awarded-2-million-in-funding-by-sdtc-for-natural-gas-high-horsepower-applications

EMD announces it has joined SDTC, December 2011:
http://www.westport.com/news/2011/consortium-agreement-with-emd-to-develop-natural-gas-fuel-system-for-rail-locomotives

Westport at Work: Load Lifter

A Canadian company with products working in a range of climates and off-highway applications around the world, Load Lifter designs and manufactures rough terrain forklifts. Their machines are used in a wide range of industries such as construction, mining, forestry, utility and agriculture.

Just over a year ago, Load Lifter’s President Hedley Thomas was researching alternative fuels for diesel engines and came across Westport’s 2.4 litre industrial engine. It runs on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG) and integrates multipoint fuel injection (MPI) technology with Hyundai Motor Company's automotive engine platform.

“We decided to give Westport product a try,” said Dave Tughan, Load Lifter’s Operations Manager. “The experience with this engine compared to our past engines has been much better. It performs better and is more technologically advanced.”

Based in Stouffville, Ontario, just east of Toronto, Load Lifter is a family business run by Hedley, his three sons and Dave. Canadian utility companies are among Load Lifter’s customers, who use their forklifts to drive through extreme weather conditions and difficult terrain.

Deep mud? No problem for Load Lifter's forklifts which are designed to work in extreme conditions.

“In our business the primary fuel is diesel,” Dave said. “But there are a lot of applications where people don’t want to use diesel – there’s a perception it’s not as clean.”

Load Lifter’s forklifts are available in both two and four wheel drive. Load Lifter’s customers often work in mud and snow in places like Sherbrooke, Quebec for instance, optimal conditions for the design of their forklifts. By powering the machines with LPG instead of diesel, refueling can be more easily accomplished outside on the worksite by simply switching the propane fuel tank.

“We’re really excited about the relationship with Westport,” Dave said.

If you’d like to learn more about Load Lifter, visit their website at http://www.load-liftermfg.com/welcome.html or Stanmore Equipment, which is the retail division of the company. To learn more about Westport’s industrial 2.4L engine, visit the Westport website.

Load Lifter President Hedley Thomas in front of an LPG-powered forklift. 

The LNG Era: A New Type of Tank for Over the Road Trucking

As natural gas becomes more-widely adopted as a transportation fuel, large companies, fleet managers and small business-owners face the decision of which fuel to adopt: compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG). When it comes to determining which fuel is best suited for which type of application, a crucial decision revolves around fuel storage and tank selection; all engines run on CNG – it’s how to store the fuel that is the key decision, whether as LNG or CNG.

In an earlier blog post, we explored the properties of LNG. There are several compelling reasons which make LNG desirable for long distance trucking: it has comparable fill times to diesel, it’s denser than CNG which allows trucks to drive farther between stops, it’s cheaper than diesel in North America and has fewer local air quality pollutants and produces reduced emissions.

A New Type of Tank: The Westport LNG iCE PACK™ Tank System

With the availability and benefits of cold fuel, Westport created a product that allows more fleets to reap the benefits of LNG. The Westport LNG iCE PACK™ Tank System is designed to work with spark-ignited engines, such as the Cummins Westport ISX12 G and the ISL G. 

The iCE PACK system enables fuel providers and fleets to utilize cold LNG fuel at - 240° F (30 psi), eliminating the need for saturating (warming) the liquid in bulk tanks prior to the vehicle refueling process. Unlike other tank systems, it’s designed with a pump that delivers fuel to the engine regardless of displacement or demand.

“With the iCE PACK, we no longer need to worry about fuel naturally warming since the system has pump that feeds the fuel to the engine,” says Matthew Campbell, Westport marketing manager. “Boil-off CNG up to date has been enough to feed the engine. However, the natural boiling of the fuel doesn’t always happen fast enough to be able to supply the engine for higher displacement – twelve and the fifteen litre engines. What happens next is fuel starvation.”

The iCE PACK increases tank hold times up to ten days and provides up to 10 per cent more operating range compared to tanks using saturated LNG. For fleets, another positive aspect is there is almost no fuel loss back to the station during refuelling, which saves money and refuelling time. After refuelling the truck is ready to drive away immediately, as any operator would expect.

LNG Station Infrastructure 

While there are fewer LNG stations in North America to date than CNG stations, Clean Energy has built 70 LNG stations as part of America’s Natural Gas Highway and the company plans to build another 30-50 stations this year in partnership with Flying J Travel Centers.

There are currently 73 LNG stations in the United States, including private stations. Shell opened Canada’s first public LNG this year in Calgary in May 2013. Canada has six LNG vehicle refuelling stations, private and public, and a further eight are planned. As the alternative fuel landscape for transportation evolves, it’s important to consider the available options: LNG may be the best bet for long-distance trucking.

The iCE PACK™ can be installed on Peterbilt, Kenworth, Volvo, Mack and Freightliner – on any of the trucks that can be purchased with a 12 L, Cummins Westport engine. To learn more, visit Westport’s website.

The Westport LNG iCE PACK™ Tank System