City of Chesapeake is the First Municipal Renewable Natural Gas Fleet in Virginia

August 17, 2023

On June 1, 2023, the City of Chesapeake awarded Trillium Transportation Fuels, LLC., a four-year contract for the supply of renewable natural gas (RNG) for the City’s fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) powered solid-waste trucks. 

The City is presently using over 21,000 diesel gallon equivalents (DGE) of CNG per month in the solid waste fleet. This will be an enormous lifecycle emissions reduction.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuel Data Center, Renewable natural gas (RNG) is a pipeline-quality gas that is fully interchangeable with conventional natural gas and thus can be used in natural gas vehicles. RNG is essentially biogas (the gaseous product of the decomposition of organic matter) that has been processed to purity standards. According to the California Air Resources Board’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard, renewable natural gas is lower carbon than gasoline and diesel and some pathways are lower than zero carbon.

[CARB] Low carbon fuel standard pathways
[EPA: large projects make renewable natural gas]

The City’s fleet also uses vehicles powered by other alternative fuels, namely: propane, E85, hybrid-electric and electric vehicles.

Since beginning the use of CNG in 2012, the City’s solid-waste fleet  has consumed over 2,803,800 DGE of CNG.

George S. Hrichak, Chesapeake’s Fleet Manager, has led a range of clean fuel initiatives and has announced his retirement from Chesapeake in 2023. George has long served as a volunteer leader on VCC’s Board of Directors.

Chesapeake opened their fueling station to the public CNG users in 2017 which was also the first municipal government public CNG fueling facility in the Commonwealth.