Fleets that choose natural gas have a range of refueling station options and a choice of service providers for vehicle refueling. Stations dispensing CNG can be designed as fast fill stations capable of matching the filling times of liquid fuels or time fill stations that refuel all vehicles simultaneously with refueling typically taking place overnight in the fleet yard.
LNG stations refuel vehicles in times similar to diesel station refueling. An LNG refueling station must have a local supply of fuel. Given that LNG is delivered by tanker truck, delivery cost and proximity of the LNG production facility are important considerations. At present, there are five LNG production facilities in Canada that can supply LNG for fleets. These facilities are located in Montréal (QC), Calgary (AB), Delta (BC), Ladysmith (BC), and Hagar (ON).
Refueling at an existing public CNG station may be an option at the early stages when switching to natural gas. If a public station is to be used, fill time and site access are important considerations.
Private onsite CNG or LNG refueling stations may be suitable if the fleet’s total natural gas fuel volume is sufficient. A simple rule of thumb is that typically 20 medium or heavy vehicles are needed in order to consider a private onsite station.
Another refueling option may involve accessing a nearby private station owned by another fleet.
Visit Natural Resources Canada’s interactive map of public natural gas fueling locations across Canada: NRCan Station Locator