In switching from diesel fuel to CNG the county expects to save $150,000 annually in fueling costs and reduce lifetime vehicle maintenance costs.
“It will be our first full year of operations realizing all our green and financial savings from the CNG station,” Wooten said.
The trucks cost $204,000 each, about $40,000 more than a traditional diesel tractor trailer. The county has 14 in the fleet, with the last seven expected to arrive soon.
“We are excited to have our full fleet of CNG-fueled vehicles on the road in 2017,” said Montgomery County Commission President Judy Dodge. “This CNG station will help to drive economic growth, improve local air quality and reduce our fleet’s fueling and maintenance costs.”
IGS Energy, parent company of IGS CNG Services, operates the station for the county.
The county’s waste services operations are funded through a tipping fee paid by individuals and businesses disposing of waste at the county’s waste transfer station in Moraine and fees charged to residential households and commercial properties.
Natural gas is a low-carbon alternative to petroleum-based fuels and is domestically produced, according to Clean Fuels Ohio, a statewide non-profit organization focused on improving the environment and strengthening the economy.
Fuel made from natural gas is both less expensive and less polluting than regular gasoline and diesel fuel. Natural gas is compressed to less than 1 percent of its volume at standard atmospheric pressure to create CNG. It is stored onboard the vehicle in a compressed gaseous state within cylinders, according to the Clean Fuels Ohio website.
The group says there are about 37 public CNG fueling stations in the state and about 1,509 natural gas vehicles.
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