John Walker, president and CEO of FortisBC, has captured the air of optimism in Canada’s domestic market for natural gas as a fuel for transportation by addressing opportunities available to his company, in an article written for the Vancouver Sun. The improved environment for NGVs follows a meeting of industry and government representatives in December, in Ottawa, to launch the implementation of a roadmap that will guide market development for natural gas as a transportation fuel in Canada, particularly for medium to heavy duty vehicles.
Walker explains that, as set out in the strategy, expanding the use of natural gas for return-to-base fleet vehicles in Canada’s transportation sector makes sense. By using natural gas instead of diesel or gasoline, a local business can save 25-to-40% on fuel costs and see a 20-to-30% reduction of GHG emissions. The transportation sector currently contributes almost 40$ of BC’s GHG emissions in the province.
FortisBC has been working with B.C.’s natural gas vehicle industry to develop the required re-fuelling infrastructure for the heavy-duty market, as a foundation for broader uptake. Several companies, including Waste Management, Vedder Transport and Roberts Transport, are already operating CNG and LNG powered fleet vehicles.
Walker says developing new domestic markets for B.C. natural gas means better utilization of the existing pipeline network, helping to ensure long-term competitive delivery rates for natural gas customers.
FortisBC is also involved in methane capture projects that deliver renewable natural gas (biomethane) from landfills and agricultural waste to the grid, further reducing vehicle emissions.
