To promote a viable network of fueling stations and grow the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) market in the greater Washington, D.C., area, Washington Gas has two public fueling stations at the following locations:

• 1800 N. Market Street, Frederick, MD 21705
• 7600 Block of Penn Belt Drive, Forestville, MD 20747

With the opening of these public access stations, more area fleets can consider CNG as a feasible fueling option. All stations are open to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For convenience, the D.C. station is designed to handle heavy-duty access, including buses and tractor-trailers.

Customers

• Business owners looking to reduce fleet operations and maintenance costs
• Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) owners

Benefits

CNG is a clean, affordable alternative to diesel fuel and gasoline. Fueling with CNG can save fleet operators significant amounts in operating and maintenance costs. The average cost of CNG is significantly less than gasoline and diesel, and prices are expected to remain stable. There are also significantly fewer emissions from CNG than from gasoline and diesel. Use of NGVs can result in substantial reductions of hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas is nontoxic and noncorrosive, so it isn’t harmful to soil or water. CNG is lighter than air, and will dissipate into air so vapor clouds and puddles are not an issue. In order to meet current emission standards, diesel engines must be equipped with expensive, maintenance-intensive filters and exhaust fluid. Heavy-duty NGVs meet current EPA emission standards without any additional filters and/or exhaust fluid. Heavy-duty NGVs also operate more quietly and produce less harmful exhaust than gasoline and diesel engines.

CNG Facts

• There are 153,000 NGVs on U.S. roads today.
• Natural gas supplies are abundant and domestic. Over 99% of natural gas consumed in the United States comes from North American supplies, according to the American Gas Association.
• NGVs have internal combustion engines similar to gasoline and diesel engines.
• The differences between NGVs and gasoline/diesel vehicles are the fuel storage and injection systems. The fuel injection system is calibrated to account for gaseous fuel.
• CNG for NGVs is stored at 3600 psi in pressurized cylinders on the vehicle.
• CNG is measured and sold in gas gallon equivalent (GGE) units. One GGE contains the same amount of energy as a gallon of gasoline.
• Fifty manufacturers produce 100 models of light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles and engines.
• High-fuel-usage vehicles are an ideal application of CNG fueling because the payback period is achieved more quickly.