New CNG station officially open

Times Reporter

 

Encana, political representatives and interested parties were at the grand opening of the compressed natural gas, CNG, station located just outside of Strathmore on highway 817 on Sept. 28. 

“It was a dream Randy (Eresman) had three or four years ago.  He said, ‘you know we’ve really got to work on natural gas demand; we need to use this energy for North America. I think it’s the time to do this,” said Eric Marsh, Executive Vice-President, Natural Gas and Senior Vice-Presidents of the USA division.  

Eresman is Encana’s President and Chief Executive Officer, and he was personally was unable to attend the opening. 

“Encana is leading by example as we convert our own vehicle fleets to natural gas and help build the necessary infrastructure to support its expanded use as an alternative fuel to gasoline or diesel,” said Eresman in a press release. 

“Operating a fleet of vehicles on natural gas is both an economic and environmental advantage for our business, and we are inviting other business operators and consumers to join us in capturing the benefits of this clean, abundant, and more affordable fuel.”

The natural gas industry currently employs nearly 3.4 million people and every one per cent increase in natural gas production creates up to 35,000 new jobs, Eresman continued. 

Encana currently has 39 trucks converted to run on natural gas, which costs approximately $11,000 per vehicle to do. There are CNG stations in Strathmore, Calgary, Red Deer, Edmonton, and Banff. Encana also has plans to build one in Drumheller. 

Encana has 128 of its approximately 1,400-vehicle North American fleet running on natural gas. 

“Today, there are more than 12 million natural gas vehicles worldwide but less than one per cent of them are in North America. Yet our continent has the most to gain, economically and environmentally, from fueling its vehicles with natural gas,” said Marsh.

“We have estimated 100 year supply of natural gas at current consumption rates, but the resource only counts for 25 per cent of the continent’s total energy mix. 

“The precedent has already been set in Europe where natural gas figures far more prominently as a transportation fuel, and the technology for natural gas vehicles is proven, reliable, and safe.”

Beginning in 2012 Encana Natural Gas expects to offer the Strathmore station fueling services to other corporate fleets in the area, and to the public at a later date. 

Both the CNG and the liquefied natural gas, LNG, a diesel replacement, operate similarly to gasoline-powered vehicles, getting about the same miles per gallon, but at a cheaper cost. It is also safer; in the case of a leak, natural gas will dissipate or evaporate into the air. 

Natural gas vehicles are also the greenest option; it reduces carbon emissions, emits fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants and emits little to no particulate matter.