Enbridge Gas Partners with City of Hamilton to Fuel Ontario’s First Carbon-Negative RNG Bus
- In one year, this renewable natural gas bus will use and divert 450 tonnes of organic waste from the landfill.
The City of Hamilton and Enbridge Gas publicly announce the first renewable natural gas (RNG) fuelled bus in Ontario. Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) is now the first public transportation authority in Ontario to use RNG, to transport customers. In one year, the HSR RNG bus will use and divert 450 tonnes of organic waste from the landfill. That’s equivalent to 38 garbage trucks, while also displacing CO2 emissions from 36,000 litres of diesel consumed in a year.
City of Hamilton Mayor, Fred Eisenberger, said:Renewable natural gas provides an excellent opportunity for the HSR and City of Hamilton to continue our efforts to lower corporate GHG emissions and move toward targets outlined in our Climate Change Emergency declaration and Corporate Energy and Sustainability Policy. We are proud to partner with Enbridge Gas on this innovative initiative that will pave the way to ensure the future of transit in our community is energy efficient and sustainable.
RNG vehicle fuel is upgraded biogas; the gaseous product of the decomposition of organic waste from homes and businesses that has been processed into green fuel. This green HSR bus operates with carbon-negative RNG—fuel that goes beyond net-zero—provided from the StormFisher facility in London, Ontario, creating a circular economy in the province; achieving climate change targets, diverting waste from landfills, and supporting economic development, all while decreasing CO2 emissions and providing transit customers with comfort and reliability.
Vice President, Development & Operations, StormFisher Ltd, Brandon Moffatt, said:We are excited to work with the City of Hamilton and Enbridge on this transformational initiative. The use of renewable natural gas as a carbon-negative fuel for public transit is a great example of the steps that need to be taken as we move forward into a net-zero carbon future, and supporting economic development and jobs in Ontario.
RNG buses cost half compared to electric buses and have a similar fuel price as diesel. Diesel buses can be replaced 1-for-1 with RNG without compromising performance. Like diesel, RNG operates during freezing weather conditions and refuelling takes minutes, not hours. This demonstrates that municipalities can have carbon-neutral transit today without sacrificing performance, reliability or range.
Director of Transit (HSR), Debbie Dalle Vedove, said:HSR is proud to have led the transit industry as an early adopter of natural gas to fuel a significant portion of our buses. By leveraging RNG, we’re continuing our legacy of being one of the greenest transit fleets in Ontario and Canada.
Today, there are more than 110 operating RNG facilities in North America; with ten of those in Canada. There are over 30 RNG projects in various stages of development or construction in Ontario. With the Enbridge Gas turnkey, all-inclusive program, and collaboration with governments and partners, we’re advancing innovative energy solutions and helping fleets switch to green RNG today—a cost-effective, low-carbon alternative to diesel fuel.
In addition to RNG for transport, Enbridge Gas will soon offer a new Voluntary RNG program which gives customers the choice to support the transition to clean energy through a small monthly contribution ($2) to help offset the increased costs of acquiring carbon-neutral renewable natural gas.
This article was originally published by the City of Hamilton.
