amp Trillium LLC, the joint venture between ampCNG and Trillium CNG, and Champion Brands Incorporated (CBI) celebrated the grand opening of Northeast Florida’s first public access compressed natural gas (CNG) refueling station with an opening ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 26. The new station, located at 9711 Mining Drive, Jacksonville, Fla. will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and features Trillium CNG’s proprietary fast-fill hydraulic intensifier compressor (HY-C).
Close to 100 people gathered to celebrate and solidify Northeast Florida’s leadership in the natural gas industry. Noted dignitaries in attendance included: State Representative Lake Ray (R-Jacksonville); City Councilmen Jim Love and Greg Anderson; Ted Carter, Executive Director, Office of Economic Development, City of Jacksonville (COJ); Daniel Davis, President, JaxChamber; Alan Mosley, Executive Director, JaxAlliance; and Jeff Sheffield, Executive Director, North Florida TPO, to name a few.
Attendees were invited to tour the inner-workings of the new CNG station and participate in fueling demonstrations before and after the official program. Everyone left with an understanding of the importance of this project to the future of the region’s economic development and natural gas infrastructure.
The opening of Northeast Florida’s first public access CNG station supports the region’s quest to be the transportation, logistics and natural gas hub of the Southeast – and eventually of the U.S. It also supports the Global Cities Initiative to increase exports.
Donna Rolf, President of ampCNG, said: “What comes first, the chicken or the egg? While many regions debate between purchasing CNG trucks first and then building a fueling station, or building a fueling station and then hoping trucks come, Jacksonville decided to do both at the same time.”
Earl Benton, CEO/President, Champion Brands, Inc., commented: “I’ve been waiting four years for this. CNG is cleaner, costs less and is made in the U.S. I’m a capitalist, don’t get me wrong. If this didn’t make good business sense, first and foremost, we wouldn’t be here today. The bonus – I have a hand in leaving this planet in a better place. And with this sustainable snip (cutting of the ribbon) we have the first public access CNG Station in Northeast Florida.”
State Representative Lake Ray added: “It begins with understanding the opportunities and setting the pathway for the future. In 100 years, I’ll be lost in history, but what we accomplished today with CNG.”
The new station, which uses a public access card reader, includes two dual hose dispensers, enabling two semitrailers to fuel at the same time. This station marks an important milestone in host Champion Brands’ mission to replace its entire fleet of trucks to CNG by July 2017.
