Vedder Transport Ltd. can officially start making a dent in B.C.'s greenhouse gases by fuelling its fleet with liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The B.C. Utilities Commission (BCUC) has given interim approval to FortisBC to fuel Vedder Transport's fleet with a new LNG fuelling station constructed by the two companies in Abbotsford.
Between now and 2012, Vedder Transport will receive 50 new LNG powered trucks, developed by Vancouver's Westport Innovations (TSX:WPT).
Vedder estimates LNG will be 50% cheaper than diesel. And in keeping with B.C.'s climate action goals, the trucks will emit 27% less greenhouse gas.
"Natural gas is an increasingly popular energy source for the transportation industry," Clark Quintin, president of
Westport HD, said in a press release.
"The initiative, to use LNG as a fuel in long-haul trucking, is an important step towards a better environmental profile for the transport industry through a technology and partnership developed in our own backyard."
The fuelling station will be one of Western Canada's first large-scale LNG stations, and pricing will be regulated through the BCUC.
According to a model developed for Natural Resources Canada, the calculated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by Vedder Transport through using an LNG powered fleet would be 3,500 tonnes per year.
"Adding natural gas trucks to our fleet will help us reduce transportation-related emissions, ultimately improving air quality while reducing fuel management expenses," said Fred Zweep, president of the Vedder Transportation Group.
Jen O'Rourke
Twitter:jroar