LNG fueling station kicks off in Quebec

BOUCHERVILLE, QC: Canada’s first commercial liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling station has been inaugurated as part of a LNG pilot project designed to fuel a fleet of heavy-duty trucks.

The station is on the “Blue Road,” designed to create Canada’s first liquefied natural gas-fuelled freight transportation corridor along the 20/401 highways between the Quebec City area and the Greater Toronto Area. Every week, heavy-duty trucks make 48,000 trips along the corridor.

The Quebec government has begun fiscal incentives for procuring heavy-duty trucks that run on LNG and begun a $1,783,555 grant from the Bureau de l’efficacité et de l’innovation énergétiques of the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune (MRNF). This grant will set up the infrastructure needed for LNG. Boucherville, Quebec-based Robert Transport said it will roll out 180 LNG-fuelled heavy-duty trucks.

“Robert Transport hopes to continue to be an industry leader; that’s why we feel it is critical to work toward a cleaner future, for the benefit of our customers, our employees, our shareholders and society as a whole,” said Claude Robert, the company’s president and CEO. “This project will help us be more competitive while still reducing the carbon footprint of our operations.”

As well, Gaz Métro Transportation Solutions (GMTS) said it hopes to establish the technical and economic feasibility of LNG as an alternative fuel for a fleet of heavy-duty trucks. Gaz Métro said it will use its liquefaction plant in Montreal, which has three cryogenic storage tanks that will supply LNG for three refuelling sites in Boucherville, Mississauga and the Quebec City area.