A new engine powered by “cow manure-made”, ultra-clean RNG designed to rival diesel engines and clean up supply chain transportation.

Photo Credit: Clean Energy

We all want a cleaner planet and as the world grapples with various solutions to reduce carbon emissions, the transportation sector stands out as an industry that needs immediate attention and improvement.

Commercial transportation and the movement of goods in particular, has long been reliant on traditional diesel as a fuel to operate the majority of its fleet vehicles – but as we now all know, diesel emits dirty fumes that make it a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the cause of air pollution.

As companies within the supply chain and end-use customers seek alternatives to abate emissions and reach sustainability goals, Clean Energy has the key when it comes to clean fueling for small load to heavy-duty vehicles transporting everyday goods across the country.

Ever Heard of Renewable Natural Gas or “RNG” for Short? 

In a world where electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell and renewable diesel alternatives are all being tried and tested by commercial fleets, there still isn’t one perfect, viable solution that is breaking out as the right fit for logistics and supply chain fleets to effectively operate on.

This is where renewable natural gas or “RNG” comes in. Replacing diesel with RNG allows fleets to operate on an organic fuel, not a fossil fuel. RNG is a fuel with the same properties as regular natural gas which cleanly powers any vehicle equipped with a natural gas engine, including Cummins’ 6.7-, 9-, 12-, and 15-liter engines.

So, Where Does RNG Come From?

RNG is made entirely from organic waste sourced from landfills and dairy farms which account for nearly a quarter of methane emissions in the U.S. Clean Energy works closely with dairy farms to capture and process cow manure’s harmful methane emissions, preventing potent greenhouse gases from ever entering the atmosphere.

To top it off, when RNG is used as a vehicle fuel, it can reduce carbon emissions by over 300% and NOx emissions by 90% compared to diesel. This can make a significant impact in delivery and trucking companies’ Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals, as well as their customers’ Scope 3 emissions in transportation.

Tried and Tested

Photo Credit: Clean Energy

Some of the country’s largest logistics and delivery fleets are already operating delivery vehicles on RNG such as Frito-Lay, PepsiCo, Food Express, Amazon, Walmart and UPS – to name a few, slashing their GHG emissions and reaching their sustainability goals by making the switch.

Clean Energy works with shipper fleets of all shapes and sizes to provide drivers and their trucks with ease of access to ultra-clean RNG fuel through its 600+ stations scattered all over North America.

A long-time Clean Energy customer, Food Express, transfers bulk food commodities using its growing fleet of 88 natural gas trucks that are powered with RNG. Food Express is using the latest in clean engine technology to achieve its decarbonizations goals and has not had to compromise its day-to-day operations by doing so. The company conveniently fuels at Clean Energy’s stations throughout California and the Pacific Northwest to haul their loads of bakery flour and corn starch.

Feedback from fleets testing the latest natural gas engine, Cummins X15N, on RNG has been overwhelmingly positive. Drivers have praised the 15-liter natural gas engine's smooth power delivery and impressive torque which makes hauling medium to heavy loads more manageable. Fleet managers are happy with the engine's fuel efficiency which ultimately translates into lower operating costs.

RNG can be used for a range of purpose-built vehicles from box trucks to 12-liter tractors trailers, to the bigger load 15-liter engines which are currently being praised as “game changers” for decarbonizing heavy-duty trucking.

Now that we have varying natural gas engines here, RNG-fueled vehicles are the holy grail for fleet operators and environmentally conscious B2C companies looking at their product lifecycle cradle-to-grave emissions. It’s the best option here today for those looking to move away from diesel which is already being phased out by government agencies across the country.

In an industry searching to find effective, meaningful solutions to decarbonize not only for sustainability conscious customers in the supply chain, but to move towards alternatives which are future-proof and ensure cleaner air and a healthier planet – RNG is the answer.

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