Natural gas vehicles have been generating buzz among fleets. But that quiets down for some of them upon seeing the investment required, which can run up to a few million dollars for a fueling station and modifying maintenance shops and vehicles.
Here’s the cost to upgrade to biodiesel blends or renewable diesel: $0. No vehicle or fuel infrastructure modifications are needed.
The biggest expense with natural gas is building a new fueling station, which most fleets put in themselves because of the lack of retail options. Here are potential equipment costs for a time-fill CNG station for fleets that fuel overnight at a central location. This does not take into account costs like land, engineering, vehicle and shop modifications or ongoing expenses.
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GAS SUPPLYLine necessary to bring gas to station. | GAS DRYERRemoves moisture from gas prior to compression. | BUFFER STORAGE TANKHelps keep the compressor from turning off and on and to top off vehicles. |
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COMPRESSORSCompresses inlet gas to the pressure necessary for filling a vehicle. Best practice is to have multiple compressors. | GENERATORUsed to run the compressor and auxiliary equipment in the event of a power outage. | DUAL-HOST POSTVehicles fill from the post, typically overnight. A medium-sized station needs 10–40 posts. Estimated at $5,500 per post. |
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 | INSTALLATIONIncludes expenses associated with laying concrete, trenching, ductwork, plumbing, electrical connection and upgrades, and material shipping. |
TOTAL COST=
 | The easy, low-cost transition is only one of the many benefits of biodiesel. To learn more about biodiesel's financial, performance and environmental advantages, visit regi.com/REG-9000Biodiesel. |
Source: www.nrel.gov/docs/fy14osti/62421.pdf. Costs vary depending on many factors. Figures in this graphic are primarily the median equipment cost in the report.
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