Van Wert independent
Van Wert County already has wind and solar energy, now comes the possibility of a green type of vehicular energy coming to the county.
Sarah Smith, county economic development director, said Tuesday that Trillium CNG is looking at constructing a $1.2 million fueling station in the Van Wert area.
The company, which is a leading provider of compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling services, also is one of the few CNG companies that can design, construct, operate and maintain its own fueling facilities.
According to Smith, several local companies, including Cooper Foods; Custom Assembly, a recreational vehicle assembly plant in Haviland; and Store-N-Haul, a local trucking firm that specializes in transporting soy oil, have already stated they are interested in having a CNG fueling station in the area.
David L. George, managing director of business development for Trillium CNG, contacted Smith about the possibility of a local CNG fueling station. She noted that the company needs a commitment of 400,000 gallons of CNG to offset the cost of building the fueling station.
According to the Trillium website, CNG is “domestic, abundant, and, unlike gasoline or diesel fuel, isn’t impacted by global issues that drive market price volatility.”
Smith said the cost of CNG is about $2 a gallon, versus more than $4 for diesel fuel. Companies can also sign long-term contracts to lock in CNG prices.
CNG is also much cleaner to use than either gasoline or diesel fuel, with only a fraction of the emissions of those fuels. While vehicles need to be specially adapted to run on CNG – not an inexpensive proposition – Smith said the return on investment is good, since CNG is less than half the cost of diesel fuel.
Smith added that companies interested in CNG fuel services should contact the commissioners’ office at 419.238.6159