Clean Energy to build new CNG station for Missouri district

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Clean Energy Fuels Corp. will construct new compressed natural gas (CNG) stations for North Kansas City (Mo.) School District, which is set to become the largest school district in the U.S. to transition its bus fleet to CNG, company officials said.

Clean Energy will construct a new station that includes fast-fill and time-fill fueling options using two Clean Energy Compression compressors, and will modify a maintenance facility for CNG-fueled buses.

North Kansas City School District will replace 124 school buses with new CNG-fueled buses with an option to purchase an additional 30 over the next 10 years.

The 15-year contract will be funded through financing secured by the district, and is a joint partnership between the district, Clean Energy and Midwest Bus Sales, which will supply the district’s new CNG school buses.

This transition for the 20,000-student school district will begin for the 2016 school year, when the Clean Energy station is scheduled to be operational, and is expected to achieve a cumulative reduction of more than 5,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the 10-year span, company officials said.

Clean Energy also recently established agreements to build new CNG stations across transportation market segments of transit, refuse, trucking and the bulk fuel market, according to the company.

“Despite lower oil prices, Clean Energy continues to add fueling partnerships across all our transportation markets,” said Andrew J. Littlefair, president and CEO of Clean Energy. “No matter if they are with a school district, municipality or trucking company, managers of large fleets are looking for a cleaner fuel that reliably costs less and does not have volatile price swings. Natural gas continues to meet their needs.”