Page 19 - ATR 3 2014 web

a slow and certain future for fuel

Despite challenges, natural gas still on the rise

By steve Brawner

Contributing Writer

Natural gas continues to hold
promise as a fuel for heavy-duty vehi-
cles because of its abundant supply and
its cheap, stable price, but challenges to
widespread adoption remain, and diesel
will continue to be the fuel of choice for
years to come.
Those were some of the takeaways
from presentations and a question and
answer session at the Arkansas Trucking
Association (ATA) Annual Business
Conference featuring Charlie Riedl,
director, transportation and equipment
for America’s Natural Gas Alliance, and
Dr. Linda Capuano, former vice presi-
dent of technology for Houston-based
Marathon Oil Corp. Tracy Rosser, senior
vice president of transportation for
Walmart Transportation, moderated the
question and answer session.
Capuano was a member of a
National Petroleum Council com-
mittee that in 2012 released
“Advancing Technology for America’s
Transportation,” a two-year study
that examined how transportation
could evolve in the coming years. The
study, requested by Secretary of Energy
Stephen Chu, involved 300 people,
including members of the oil and gas
industry, manufacturers and other
stakeholders. it must be cheaper than diesel over a needed in fuel storage.
The study found that the internal long period of time, and the support- For trucking companies, the big
combustion engine will dominate the ing infrastructure must be developed. advantage for natural gas is its low,
market for decades. Natural gas tech- The study found that development of stable price – currently about $2 a gal-
nology is improving, but as Capuano the technology is more cost-effective lon and projected to remain so for the
pointed out, so is diesel technology. for heavy-duty than light-duty vehicles. foreseeable future. Riedl said that a
Few technical barriers exist to Capuano said more research is needed new natural gas tractor costs $40,000
greater adoption of natural gas. For in aerodynamics, exhaust heat recovery
the fuel to gain a stronger foothold, and other areas, and improvements are 

ArkAnsAs truckinG report | issue 3 2014 19