Shell Oil Co. said Thursday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with TravelCenters of America LLC to provide liquefied natural gas for heavy-duty trucks at TA travel plazas.
Shell is proposing to build more than 200 LNG fuel lanes at about 100 TA sites and Petro Stopping Centers on U.S. interstates. If a final agreement is reached, the first LNG fuel lanes would open in 2013.
The agreement “would enable Shell to deliver LNG to customers who want a competitively priced fuel option to help meet increasingly stringent air quality emission standards,” said Elen Phillips, Shell’s vice president for North American fuel sales and marketing.
“Using natural gas for transport gives truck fleet operators a new strong advantage because it’s abundant and affordable and a viable alternative to diesel,” Phillips said in a statement.
Last year, Shell said it was planning to boost natural gas use in the Calgary, Alberta, Canada region.
The move follows last year’s announcement by Clean Energy Fuels Corp. that it plans a highway LNG truck-fueling network of up to 150 filling stations.
