Natural gas powered transport truck hauling lumber through Okanagan
The Okanagan’s windy roads are the training grounds for a new natural gas powered transport truck in Canada.
Kelowna based freight management company Nortran has a new heavy-duty natural gas powered truck, one of the first of its kind in Canada, according to a press release issued today, Sept. 25.
The truck is a Kenworth T880 is powered by a Cummins X15N engine and its hauling full weight loads for Gorman Bros Lumber from Revelstoke to Oroville, Washington.
Kelowna’s MP Stephen Fuhr said that the new truck technology is going to be good for the environment and the local economy.
“Nortrans is proving that cleaner, heavy-duty freight is possible today. With support from Natural Resources Canada’s Green Freight Program, this initiative shows how federal investment helps local businesses drive innovation, cut emissions, and create good jobs,” he said in the release.
Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said this new fuel source for transport trucks is far cleaner than diesel.
“We are taking bold steps to make Canada an energy superpower. Through this project, we are delivering practical on-the-ground solutions for Canadian industry to drive the decarbonization of the transportation sector while strengthening our supply chains and energy independence. Investments like this are how we build a cleaner, more secure, and more competitive economy,” Hodgson said in the release.
Natural gas powered vehicles produce 95 per cent fewer nitrogen oxides, 30 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and very little particulate matter, according to FortisBC.
“At FortisBC, we have been working with fleet operators for more than 15 years to move away from diesel and toward lower carbon fuels such as compressed natural gas,” FortisBC’s Della Bond said in the release. “This new (compressed natural gas) truck represents another step forward, helping operators lower emissions and reduce fuel costs while maintaining the reliability they require.”
A big part of expanding Canada’s ability to use natural gas fuelled trucks is building more refuelling stations. FortisBC has stations in Kelowna, Surrey, Annacis Island and Abbotsford. More refuelling stations in Kamloops, Calgary and Edmonton are in the works.
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