OTTAWA — The federal government has announced financial support for the installation of three new natural gas filling stations on the Trans-Canada Highway in Northern Ontario.
One of the facilities will be located at an existing gas station in the Nipigon area.
The others will be established along Highway 11 at Hearst and Cochrane.
Natural Resources Canada is contributing $3 million for the project to fuel delivery service provider Envoy Energy.
The three stations will include on-site storage and easy-to-use dispensers for use by heavy-duty truck drivers.
According to a government news release, the initiative is aimed at helping the trucking industry switch from diesel to compressed natural gas, or CNG.
"CNG is one of the greenest transportation fuels on the market today for long-haul vehicles. It produces more than 25 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other petroleum products and eliminates more than 90 per cent of the contaminants coming out of the tailpipes of traditional diesel-powered trucks," the statement said.
To date, Natural Resources Canada has supported the installation of 22 natural gas stations across Canada.