City of Calgary to pilot renewable diesel in 5 garbage trucks

Photo: The City of Calgary

In partnership with its current fuel supplier, Shell Canada, the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, will be piloting renewable diesel through The Green Fleet Strategy in support of The city’s efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions on the pathway to net zero by 2050.

“There are no one-size fits all solutions to effectively reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from the city’s corporate fleet,” said Philippa Wagner, program manager with fleet and inventory at the city of Calgary. “Electrification of medium and heavy fleet vehicles presents operational challenges and with limited options available in the Canadian market, alternative fuels present us with the opportunity to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions while maintaining an existing level of service to Calgarians.”

Renewable diesel has the same chemical properties as fossil fuel-based diesel but it’s colorless, odorless and made from organic sources like vegetable oil and animal fats.

The advantage of renewable diesel is that it works with existing diesel vehicles and infrastructure allowing for immediate emissions reductions without operational disruptions or significant capital investment.

“Shell Canada is proud to support the city of Calgary and its efforts to reduce emissions through the supply of renewable diesel for their pilot project,” said Susannah Pierce, president and country chair, Shell Canada. “Working with municipal partners like the city of Calgary is critical to Shell’s goal to deliver lower-carbon energy and become a net-zero emissions business by 2050.”

From mid-July to mid-September, renewable diesel will be used to fuel five commercial refuse trucks at the city of Calgary’s Shepard Operations Workplace Centre.

Units involved in the pilot will be monitored for fuel economy, engine performance, maintenance observations as well as operator experience.

While renewable diesel can have a significant impact on GHG emissions, benefits of emissions reduction will be weighed against fuel costs and feasibility for city use through the pilot.

The cost of the pilot is CAD$23,000 (USD$17,231).

The city is committed to evaluating and incorporating fully electric, electric-hybrid and other low-carbon vehicle technologies to reduce GHG emissions through the 2023-2026 Climate Implementation Plan.