Apr 17 2014
TruStar Energy is excited to announce the contract award for a large, fast-fill compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station for High Plains Bioenergy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Seaboard Foods – a division of Seaboard Corporation.
The two-compressor CNG fueling station will be configured to provide fuel for a wide array of Seaboard heavy-duty vehicles that move products both locally and in an over-the-road application.
"High Plains Bioenergy is a renewable energy company focused on producing as well as using high-quality alternative fuels for the Seaboard Foods integrated food system," said Seaboard Foods President and CEO, Terry Holton. "High Plains Bioenergy operates a plant that has been in continuous production since 2008 and produced more than 34 million gallons of biodiesel in 2013."
This is TruStar Energy's first station in Oklahoma – and their first with a company already contributing to the development of renewable energy.
"Building this station for High Plains Bioenergy and Seaboard Foods is very exciting to us at TruStar Energy because we're working with another company with a strong commitment to renewable energy," said TruStar Energy Vice President, Scott Edelbach, adding, "they are using their CNG-powered fleet to transport pork products and biodiesel across the country."
High Plains Bioenergy's first endeavor was a biodiesel plant that uses animal fats, including pork fat from the Seaboard Foods' Guymon processing plant, and vegetable oils - as the feedstock for biodiesel. These fats and oils go through a chemical process called transesterification to separate glycerin from animal fats and vegetable oils – the main ingredients in biodesiel.
"CNG benefits the Seaboard Foods integrated model and helps achieve the company's sustainability goals, providing numerous long-term benefits that are changing the way the trucking industry fuels equipment," said Holton, adding that High Plains Bioenergy and Seaboard Foods CNG-powered Class 8 tractors would be delivering their products to destinations throughout the US.
Seaboard Foods ordered 103 Kenworth CNG-powered tractors with the Cummins Westport ISX 12G engine, but that is likely to grow, said Holton.
"Seaboard Foods continues to investigate other opportunities to integrate CNG into our fleet operations and we are excited about the potential for expansion in the near future."
"Converting from diesel to CNG is a game changer for enhancing the profitability of transportation operations," said TruStar Energy President, Adam Comora. "Fuel savings from 30% to 50% create significant value for fleet operators and their partners. Natural gas is better for the environment, better for domestic energy independence and better for the bottom line – truly a win-win-win solution."
TruStar Energy began building private "behind the fence" fueling stations, such as this one for High Plains Bioenergy, in 2008. TruStar Energy has recently expanded their product offerings to include public / private station builds along with fuel supply from TruStar Energy-owned stations for those customers that are not interested in station ownership, but want access to low-cost CNG fuel.
TruStar Energy has the capability of building 40 CNG stations per year and expects to double that capacity over the next few years. The company's successful growth is being driven by being the preferred partner for companies desiring to convert their transportation fleets from diesel to CNG. Given the significant cost savings, "speed is of the essence" in order to capture these cost savings as quickly as possible.
TruStar Energy LLC is the preferred partner for commercial fleets looking to transition their fuel supply from oil to natural gas. TruStar Energy provides a suite of solutions making the transition as simple and easy as possible for the customer. With station builds throughout the US and Canada, TruStar Energy is a recognized leader in providing CNG infrastructure and CNG fueling solutions.
For more information, contact Jeffry Swertfeger at 813-957-1846