Veolia, Largest Private U.S. Transit Bus Operator, Contracts with Clean Energy to Build New Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fueling Station to Support LA Metro CNG-Powered Buses
SEAL BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Veolia Transportation Services, Inc., North America's largest private provider of public transit services, has awarded Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq:CLNE) a contract to build, operate, and maintain a compressed natural gas (CNG) bus fueling station at Veolia facilities in downtown Los Angeles.
Under contract with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), Veolia will begin operating new environmentally friendly CNG buses for the agency in April 2010, as Metro accelerates efforts to replace older diesel-fueled buses with new CNG models. The Veolia-operated transit buses are deployed in Metro's North Los Angeles County service area.
Construction of the new Veolia/Clean Energy CNG station will begin in January 2010, with completion set for mid 2010. CNG fuel requirements are projected at more than 420,000 gasoline-gallon-equivalents in the first year of the Veolia station's operations.
James Harger, Clean Energy Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said, "We are very grateful for the confidence that Veolia Transportation has placed in Clean Energy to support them in their efforts to help Metro achieve the full potential of its clean-air natural gas bus policy. Across the U.S., Clean Energy is partnering with major metropolitan public transit agencies and their service providers to fuel over 5,000 buses and to help them implement and expand clean-fuel programs for their bus fleets. CNG has proven to significantly lower harmful emissions like nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases as compared to diesel fuel."
Harger added that Clean Energy works with Veolia at other public transit agencies across the country including Foothill Transit and Valley Metro in Phoenix, Arizona. The new CNG station supporting a Metro contractor will be Clean Energy's second project of this type. The company also partnered with Southland Transit, Inc. for a fueling facility for CNG bus service to the San Gabriel Valley section of LA County.
Veolia Transportation is the largest private operator of bus, rail, paratransit, shuttle and taxi businesses in North America. The company has over 16,000 employees and operates 200 contracts for cities in the U.S. Veolia Transportation is part of Veolia Transport, the world's largest private operator of multiple modes of public transit. Veolia Transport manages contracts for 5,000 city transit authorities in 27 countries, and transports 2.7 billion passengers per year.
Clean Energy (Nasdaq: CLNE) is the leading provider of natural gas (CNG and LNG) for transportation in North America. It has a broad customer base in the refuse, transit, ports, shuttle, taxi, trucking, airport and municipal fleet markets, fueling more than 17,500 vehicles at 195 strategic locations across the United States and Canada. Clean Energy owns and operates two LNG production plants, one in Willis, TX and one in Boron, CA, with combined capacity of 260,000 LNG gallons per day and designed to expand to 340,000 LNG gallons per day as demand increases. It also owns and operates a landfill gas facility in Dallas, TX that produces renewable methane gas or biomethane for delivery in the nation's gas pipeline network. Clean Energy also owns and operates BAF of Dallas, TX, a leading provider of natural gas vehicle systems and conversions for taxis, limousines, vans, pick-up trucks and shuttle buses. Please visit www.cleanenergyfuels.com.
Forward-Looking Statements -- This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including statements about anticipated fuel consumption at the CNG station and the anticipated date that construction of the station will be completed. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of unanticipated construction or permitting delays, CNG bus availability and the actual demand for public transportation services provided by Veolia. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date of this press release and the company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Source: Clean Energy Fuels Corp.
Released December 9, 2009