(Photo Credit: City of Vancouver on YouTube)The City of Vancouver signed a new contract with the Canadian energy company Suncor that transitions all of the city’s diesel vehicles to 100% renewable diesel. This fuel deal should help reduce emissions to 50% below 2007 levels by the end of 2019, according to the city.
Currently 55% of Vancouver’s fleet runs on 5% biodiesel content, also called B5. The transition shifts those vehicles to 100% renewable diesel (R100). The city’s Green Vancouver site compares renewable diesel to biodiesel but notes several significant differences.
“Both biodiesel and renewable diesel can be produced from waste organic feedstock such as waste fats and used vegetable oils,” the site notes. “However, renewable diesel refines the organic feedstock into an end product that is certified to the same standard as petroleum diesel, allowing renewable diesel to be used in blends of up to 100% without any issues.”
There are 577 diesel-powered vehicles in the fleet, the Star Vancouver reported. The city committed to reducing fleet emissions to 30% below 2007 levels by 2020, then lowering fleet emissions to 50% by 2030, and transitioning to 100% renewable energy usage by 2050.
“This new contract concretely demonstrates our commitment to greening our operations and deriving 100% of our energy from renewable sources,” said Jerry Dobrovolny, Vancouver’s general manager of engineering services. “This shift in fuel, in conjunction with the ways we are optimizing and electrifying our fleet, proves that we are walking the talk and finding innovative ways to respond to climate change and its devastating impacts.”
Besides diesel, 8% of Vancouver’s fleet uses compressed natural gas. Currently the city has more than 50 hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicles. Upward of 100 vehicles in the fleet are electric, including 50 Engineering and Parks passenger vehicles and 32 heavy duty vehicles. The city’s plan is to reach over 200 electric vehicles by 2021.
