Veolia ES Solid Waste, Inc., the solid waste division of Veolia Environmental Services North America, has introduced Indiana’s first fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) powered refuse trucks to its Evansville, Indiana service area. Indiana-based manufacturer Autocar built the chassis for 20 of the trucks and Kenworth manufactured eight roll-off trucks for Veolia’s new fleet.
All will service over 24,000 residential and commercial customers across six counties in the greater Evansville area. The new trucks run approximately 15 percent (8-10 decibels) quieter than trucks powered with diesel engines. The trucks also come equipped with automated collection systems that increase efficiency, protect the health and safety of drivers, prolong the life of the truck and further reduce emissions.
A ceremony attended by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, Veolia executives and members of the Evansville community also celebrated the company’s new CNG filling station at the Veolia ES Solid Waste – Evansville location.
“Veolia recognizes that the Evansville community is devoted to sustainability and protecting our environment. Since CNG is much cleaner and more efficient than diesel, our customers can be assured that their waste service provider is helping to protect our environment and reduce pollution.”
The CNG fueling station in Evansville utilizes time-fill fueling technology that allows drivers to fuel their trucks during overnight hours, minimizing administrative and operational downtime. In addition, Veolia recently received a USD 500,000 Clean Cities grant to support its investment in a new CNG fleet. The grant is supported by federal funds through the Indiana Office of Energy Development in support of the Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV) program.
CNG a clean fuel
CNG is one of the cleanest and most socially responsible alternative fuels available today, making the benefits of CNG from both an environmental and economic standpoint hard to ignore. Over 98 percent of CNG fuel resources are located in North America, which means there is a reduced carbon footprint associated with mining the resources and transporting the fuel to domestic locations as compared to foreign oil and offshore drilling. CNG also produces 29 percent less carbon dioxide than oil and is 90 percent cleaner than diesel in its natural state, thus reducing the trucks’ overall operating impact on the environment.
“We’re very pleased to be the first waste hauler to bring CNG technology to Indiana,” said Jim Long, president and CEO of Veolia ES Solid Waste, Inc. “Veolia recognizes that the Evansville community is devoted to sustainability and protecting our environment. Since CNG is much cleaner and more efficient than diesel, our customers can be assured that their waste service provider is helping to protect our environment and reduce pollution.”
As of 2012, Veolia operates four CNG fueling stations and over 100 CNG-powered refuse collection and support vehicles in North America.
(This article compiled using information from a Veolia Environmental Services North America press release)
