Shell Oil Products US and TravelCenters of America LLC of Westlake, OH, announced Thursday, June 7, they have signed a memorandum of understanding to build and maintain more than 200 LNG fuel lanes at approximately 100 TAs and Petro Stopping Centers in the U.S.

According to the proposed agreement, Shell would build the LNG fuel lanes and TA would maintain them.

Shell and TA are currently negotiating the terms of the agreement, but LNG fueling lanes could be operating as early as 2013 if the deal is finalized.

“Using natural gas for transport gives truck fleet operators a new strong advantage because it’s abundant and affordable and a viable alternative to diesel,” said Elen Phillips, vice president of Shell Fuels Sales and Marketing North America, in a release on Thursday.

As part of the proposed agreement, TA would train a “sufficient number of its repair technicians” to service LNG customers.

“TA is pleased to be partnering with Shell, one of the largest energy companies in the world, to create the infrastructure necessary to offer TA’s trucking company customers an alternative fuel choice,” said Thomas M. O’Brien, managing director, president and chief executive officer of TA, in a release about the proposed agreement.

As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues ratcheting down on emissions standards on trucks, LNG is one of the cleanest-burning fuels because it produces nearly zero particulate emissions.