The federal government will invest $3 million in Envoy Energy to install three natural gas stations in Northern Ontario, announced Marc Serre, parliamentary secretary to Seamus O’Regan Jr., Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources.
A transport truck traverses the Trans-Canada Highway in northern Ontario. (Photo iStock)
The new refueling stations — which are located at existing gas stations in Nipigon, Hearst and Cochrane — will include on-site storage and easy-to-use dispensers providing all the features heavy-duty truck drivers need when refueling along the Trans-Canada Highway.
“The trucking industry plays an important role in building a low-emissions energy future. By investing in companies like Envoy Energy, we’re providing transport companies with cleaner options to get to where they need to go,” Serre said.
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is one of the greenest transportation fuels on the market today for long-haul vehicles. It produces more than 25% fewer greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) than other petroleum products and eliminates more than 90% of the contaminants coming out of the tailpipe of traditional, diesel-powered trucks. CNG can also be produced from renewable natural gas, using waste feedstocks such as landfill gas and municipal solid waste to produce a fuel with 80% fewer GHGs. Natural gas use can also reduce fuel costs by nearly half.
James Ro, president of Envoy Energy says, “The network of CNG and RNG stations along the Trans-Canada Highway will provide the necessary refueling infrastructure for heavy-duty Class-8 trucks to confidently travel across the country and allow more vehicles to reduce their carbon footprint.”
Federal funding is provided through Natural Resources Canada’s Electric Vehicle and Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Deployment (EVAFIDI), which is investing to establish natural gas refueling stations along key transportation routes. To date, the federal government has provided support for 22 natural gas stations to be installed across Canada, providing transport companies with cleaner options to move their goods.
The government has invested over $600 million to make electric vehicles (EVs) and alternative fuel infrastructure more accessible. This includes helping establish a coast-to-coast network of fast chargers and installing chargers in localized areas where Canadians live, work and play. This investment supports natural gas refueling stations along key freight corridors, hydrogen stations in metropolitan centers, the demonstration of next-generation charging technologies and the development of enabling codes and standards. The government provides incentives of up to $5,000 to increase affordability for Canadian consumers to buy EVs and full tax write-offs for businesses purchasing them.