Republic opens new CNG refueling facility in Denver area

Republic Services Inc. opened a new compressed natural gas refueling facility in Commerce City, Colo., as part of a $5 million investment in converting the company’s 140 Denver-area trucks to compressed natural gas.

 The Phoenix-based company spent about $3 million on the station. Republic expects the conversion of all the Denver-area trucks to take about four years, says Joe Noorlag, vice president of operations for the western region. The company expects to recoup its investment through lower fuel bills in four or five years.

“It gives us a nice return on investment,” he says. “Compressed natural gas is lower, pricewise, than diesel, and we see the stability, long term, as being better. We don’t see prices shooting up as a result of things happening overseas.”

The refueling station will be for Republic trucks only, Noorlag said.