SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit on Wednesday dedicated its new Compressed Natural Gas fueling station.
The 10-lane, 10,980-square-foot station, which began operating in 2017, is the largest compressor compound in North America, VIA officials said.
About half of VIA's 600 bus fleet uses CNG, with plans for the remaining buses to convert to the fuel in 2025.
VIA president and CEO Jeffrey Arndt said once the conversion is complete, the transportation agency will save $8.5 million in fuel costs annually and $2 million in maintenance savings over a five-year period.
"The CNG fueling station services a new generation of VIA buses and highlights our role as an industry leader to drive innovation that improves air quality throughout the region," Arndt said. "Through strategic and community partnerships, VIA's efforts to ensure a more mobile future include benchmarks for efficiency, substantial fuel savings, and infrastructure improvements that come with building a modern transportation system for our region."
Arndt said CNG, which is provided by CPS Energy, makes for cleaner, cheaper and quieter bus rides.
VIA's CNG program is part of a multi-year, community-driven plan to build a better bus system while significantly reducing vehicle emissions, decreasing operating costs, and planning service enhancements, a VIA news release said. Once complete, the transformed fleet will bring a 97 percent reduction of nitrogen oxide, or NOx, emissions and further support the agency's commitment to environmental stewardship.
Here's how the CNG fueling station works:
- CPS Energy drops natural gas into station pipe lines.
- Pipe lines transport the gas to massive compression tanks.
- The tanks converts the gas into CNG fuel.
- The now-converted fuel is transported to the 10 fuel pump lanes