Amazon Plans Expansion of RNG Fueling Stations

In a recent deal brokered with Clean Energy, Amazon plans to build 18 renewable natural gas stations to power its fleet starting with the new Romeoville station located in a suburb of Chicago, IL. The station will provide more than 1.4 million gallons of clean fuel to Amazon and other truck fleets in the greater Chicago area. Initially, the station will be able to fuel more than 100 Amazon trucks, with the capacity to fuel several hundred more, according to Clean Energy Fuels Corp.

The Clean Energy station in Romeoville, Ill., supplies Amazon trucks with low-carbon fuel. (Clean Energy Fuels Corp.)

“The addition of the Romeoville station to our fueling network represents another step in the pathway for Amazon to realize significant carbon reduction for its transportation fleets,” Chad Lindholm, senior vice president of Clean Energy, reportedly said. “Trucks that operate on diesel are incredibly harmful to the air we breathe and contribute to long-term climate change.”

Amazon trucks have already fueled at more than 86 existing Clean Energy stations across the nation. According to the agreement between the two companies, 17 additional Clean Energy stations will follow Romeoville, with several expected to open early this year.

The move adds to Amazon’s growing list of more than 200 renewable energy projects across North America. They also control 117 projects for renewable energy in Europe, 57 in Asia and the Pacific, and a growing number across the Middle East, Africa, and South America.

“We are bringing new wind and solar projects online to power our offices, fulfillment centers, data centers, and stores, which collectively serve millions of customers globally, and we are on a path to reach 100 percent renewable energy across our entire business by 2025,” Adam Selipsky, CEO of Amazon Web Services, reportedly said.

Amazon has emerged as the world’s largest buyer of renewable energy worldwide and has been praised by renewable energy experts for following through on its commitment to clean truck fuels.

Freight transportation companies are experimenting with alternative forms of fuel to meet upcoming emissions regulations. Electric models like the Nikola Tre BEV and Tesla Semi have already been pre-ordered, while hydrogen rigs and renewable natural gas appear to be gaining traction as potential solutions for zero emissions operations in the future.