By Isabel Ordonez
Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA, RDSB, RDSA.LN, RDSB.LN) said
Thursday it signed a preliminary agreement to supply liquefied
natural gas, or LNG, for heavy-duty trucks at 100 fueling stations
across the U.S. starting in 2013.
The agreement signed with TravelCenters of America LLC (TA), the
largest full-service truck stop chain in the U.S., includes
constructing more than 200 LNG fuel lanes at about 100 sites
throughout the U.S. interstate highway system, Shell said in a
press release. If a final agreement is reached, the first of the
LNG fuel lanes is expected to become operational in 2013, the
company added.
"This potential alliance with TA would enable Shell to deliver
LNG fuel to customers who want a competitively priced fuel option
to help them meet increasingly stringent air quality emission
standards," said Shell fuels marketing executive Elen Phillips.
Demand for alternative fuels for heavy-duty road transport
trucks is growing in part because of the promise of lower fuel
costs and improved local air quality from reduced emissions, the
company said.
Last year, Shell announced it would sell LNG to heavy-duty
trucks at select Flying J truck stops in Alberta, Canada. The first
LNG retail plaza in Calgary is expected to open this year, the
company said.
Write to Isabel Ordonez at isabel.ordonez@dowjones.com