Abbotsford's Vedder Transport will begin using the first 12 of its 50 liquefied natural gas trucks beginning on Oct. 1.
A fueling station for the LNG has been constructed on the Vedder Transport property and FortisBC has received interim approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) to provide fuelling services.
FortisBC and Vedder Transport worked together to construct this fuelling station.
Vedder Transport will now be able to refuel its new fleet of LNG-powered trucks on their own premises at rates regulated by the BCUC.
Fred Zweep, president of Vedder, said the first 12 trucks are ready to go with the remaining fleet scheduled to be running by the end of the year.
“At Vedder, we are committed to protecting the environment for future generations. Adding natural gas trucks to our fleet will help us reduce transportation-related emissions, ultimately improving air quality while reducing fuel management expenses,” said Zweep
LNG has been proven to create less greenhouse gas than regular diesel.
According tp Doug Stout, vice president, energy solutions and external relations for FortisBC, the new trucks will "be emitting up to 27 per cent less greenhouse gases (GHGs) than their diesel counterparts, so in addition to contributing to the economy, using natural gas will help B.C. reach its climate action goals.”
Natural gas vehicles (NGVs) provide a way to decrease carbon emissions and reduce noise levels, and are the most viable option for companies with large fleets looking to reduce their GHGs and fuel costs.
Using a model developed for Natural Resources Canada to calculate GHG emissions, an LNG-powered truck driven 190,000 kilometres per year is estimated to produce about 70 fewer tonnes of GHGs annually than its diesel counterpart – helping Vedder Transport to reduce their GHG emissions by approximately 3,500 tonnes per year.