USA, California

Two national truckload carriers have signed letters of intent to participate in the port of Los Angeles’ Clean Trucks Plan.  The two, Swift Transportation Co. and Knight Transportation, both based in Phoenix, plan to begin drayage operations at L.A. in October, the port said in a statement late Thursday.  While the number of trucks they will operate in the market is still to be determined, port officials expect that, collectively, their pool of trucks will exceed 2,000.  The trucks will meet 2007 federal diesel emissions standards using a mix of clean diesel and liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueled trucks, the port’s statement said. "It's a big deal, a major breakthrough," said John Husing, a California-based economist and a logistics and supply chain expert who was called on to evaluate the port's truck replacement plan.  Paul Bingham, managing director of trade and transportation markets for economic research firm Global Insight, said, "These are both well-known, national trucking companies. They are very serious players."

CleanAir Logix of Oakland, California has ordered 9 Kenworth T800 heavy-duty liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks, featuring Westport Innovations' High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) technology, for deployment at the Port of Oakland. The Port will use the trucks for hauling containers to and from the seaport. Said Bob Cross, Co-Founder,  Chairman and CEO of CleanAir Logix. "We specialize in environmentally responsible logistics solutions, and these Kenworth trucks featuring the Westport ISX G engine fit the bill for this application and our corporate mission to provide practical and commercially viable alternative-fuel based
solutions."

Thailand, Bangkok

Truck operators in Thailand will have easier access to natural gas engine conversions following an easing of loan conditions through PTT Plc, the country's sole supplier of natural gas for vehicles (CNG). PTT has provided more than one-billion Thai Baht ($US30 million) budget for soft loans for truck operators through state banks, according to the company's executive vice-president Nattachat Charuchinda. Though loans have been available previously, PTT has eased the loan criteria, allowing personal guarantees instead of requiring assets or property as collateral.

USA, California

Crane Carrier in the US has just taken an order for a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled hydraulic hybrid refuse truck, for Rainbow Disposal in Huntington Beach, Calif. The vehicle will have a parallel hybrid drivetrain from Bosch Rexroth and further orders are expected soon. Fleets and Fuels says Crane Carrier is busy with conventional CNG vehicle orders at the moment, processing more than 130 for utlities and refuse collectors in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Brookhaven, New York.The hybrid and non-hybrid vehicles are all powered by Cummins Westport CWI B Plus gas engines.

Germany, Hanover

Sprinter NGT now also available in mono-fuel EEV version

Mercedes-Benz is playing the environmental card at the 2008 International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover Germany next month. Featuring 80 vehicles on show Mercedes will also present a concept study in the form of the worldwide unique Econic NGT Hybrid, which combines an EEV-rated natural-gas-powered engine with an electric motor. The predicted reduction in fuel costs by up to 60 percent in comparison with a diesel drive which Mercedes-Benz describes as 'sensational'.

USA, California & Texas

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. has acquired Dallas Clean Energy LLC (DCE) for approximately $19.1 million in cash from Camco International Ltd, a Jersey-based company focused on developing projects and strategies to reduce carbon emissions.  Clean Energy has partnered in acquiring and operating the project with Cambrian Energy, a leading landfill gas project development and management company, which owns 30% of DCE.

Canada, Vancouver

Canadian natural gas engine technology developer Westport Innovations Inc. has commenced trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "WPRT".  The company's common stock is now dual listed on both the Toronto Stock Exchange (under the symbol "WPT") and the Nasdaq."Our U.S. shareholder base has increased substantially over the past 18 months as a result of increased awareness of Westport's international achievements and opportunities," said David Demers, CEO of Westport Innovations.

UK, Dartmouth

UK supermarket giant Sainsbury’s has commenced daily food deliveries to its new environmental store using a lorry which is powered by biomethane fuel produced from landfill waste. The Mercedes-Benz Axor truck has been converted for diesel dual-fuel operation using the Clean Air Power Genesis conversion system. Methane gas results from organic or biodegradable material such as waste food, garden waste, paper and newspapers which rots in the absence of air in landfill sites. Some landfill sites burn the gas off, but the energy locked up in the gas is wasted. Instead, by capturing the gas, cleaning it and compressing it, it can now be used to power heavy goods vehicles. Hitting the road for the first time today, the Sainsbury’s natural gas vehicle will make a daily 500km round trip from the Sainsbury’s depot in Bristol to the supermarket’s new environmental store in Dartmouth.

Australia, Perth

Eden Energy Ltd, the Australian based parent of Eden Hydrogen Inc,  (owners of Hythane HCNG technology) has received a $AU5 million ($US 4.34 million) boost from one of India’s largest private development corporations for Eden’s green fuel, gas and geothermal projects in India, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Zoom will provide Eden with a convertible note loan and both parties have signed a conditional Letter of Intent providing for Zoom to enter into a series of joint development agreements across various Eden projects. Eden’s Executive Chairman, Mr Greg Solomon, said, “This push will help accelerate the pace at which Eden’s technologies and projects are able to be rolled out. We believe Zoom will be a strong, strategic partner with its broad affiliations, particularly in India, where Eden is focusing its efforts to market Hythane® as an ultra low emission, high efficiency fuel.” Hythane is a proprietary blend of hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG).

Germany

Taxi drivers in Germany are reaping benefits to the tunes of thousands of Euros in savings each year operating on natural gas instead of deisel. Trägerkreis Erdgasfahrzeuge reports (in German) on a local Taxi Journal item which looked at the operating costs of Mercedes E200, Mercedes B-Class, Opel Zafira and Volkswagen Touran natural gas vehicles against their diesel equivalents. The Opel Zafira produced the highest savings, 18,000 Euros over two years (assuming 10l/100km diesel consumption) while the B-Class and the Touran produced savings of 16,000 and 15,700 Euros respectively. The item also quotes a consultant as saying that 8 out of 10 Mercedes taxis purchased now in Germany operate on compressed natural gas (CNG).