UPS Inc. said yesterday it will build nine liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling stations in the United States, bringing to 13 the number of LNG facilities the nation's largest transportation company will operate by the end of next year.

Atlanta-based UPS said the nine stations will be located in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The project will cost about $50 million.

In April, UPS said it would build four LNG fueling facilities in Tennessee and Texas. Construction of those sites is already underway.

The expanded fueling infrastructure will support the operation of approximately 1,000 LNG-powered tractors that will supplant more than 24 million gallons of diesel fuel annually, the company said.

UPS has used LNG-powered vehicles for more than a decade. Currently, it operates LNG tractors in Las Vegas; Phoenix; Beaver and Salt Lake City, Utah; and Ontario, Calif. It currently relies on public-access fueling facilities. When completed, the 13 stations will be dedicated to the company's fleet of over-the-road tractor-trailers.

UPS has set a goal of logging one billion miles on its global road network by 2017 using alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. It logged 295 million miles between 2000 and 2012 using an assortment of vehicles including compressed natural gas (CNG) and LNG. UPS' alternate-fuels fleet logged 49 million miles in 2012, up 43 percent from 2011, it said.

UPS owns more than 94,000 package cars and over-the-road tractor-trailers that operate across its global system. It also purchases an undetermined amount of transportation from third parties.