Clean Energy, Mansfield form MCEP JV

Clean Energy Fuels and Mansfield Energy formed Mansfield Clean Energy Partners (MCEP), a joint venture which will provide natural gas fueling solutions to bulk fuel haulers in the United States, a segment that consumes over three billion gallons of fuel every year.

Ira G. Pearl, a veteran of the natural gas industry, has been tapped to lead the Mansfield Clean Energy Partners team.

MCEP’s first customer will be Mansfield Oil Company, one of the nation’s largest providers of transportation fuel, which has deployed the first of its recently-purchased 12 heavy-duty compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks to haul diesel and gasoline for its customers. This fleet of CNG trucks will fuel at a new Atlanta, Ga., area card-lock natural gas station available to fleets throughout the region. The station was built by Clean Energy and forecasted to open by November 2014. A second natural gas fueling station in Tampa, Fla., which will support additional Mansfield CNG trucks as well as other regional and national bulk fuel haulers, is expected to open in early 2015.

MCEP is in advanced discussions with several bulk fuel trucking companies, representing potentially over 100 new heavy-duty CNG trucks. To support these Class 8 natural gas trucks, MCEP will develop new public-access natural gas fueling stations throughout the United States in addition to the Atlanta and Tampa facilities.

Natural gas fuel costs up to $1.50 less per gallon than gasoline or diesel, depending on local market conditions. The use of natural gas fuel not only reduces operating costs for vehicles, but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions up to 30% in light-duty vehicles and 23% in medium to heavy-duty vehicles. In addition, nearly all natural gas consumed in North America is produced domestically.

Press Release, September 16, 2014; Image: Clean Energy Fuels