Technological innovations and government mandates continue to focus on lowering heavy-duty vehicle emissions. But one of the under-reported efforts to get to zero emissions involves renewable natural gas (RNG). After the Clean Energy Fuels Corp reportedly brokered wide-reaching deals to power fleets in California, it appears RNG has taken another step toward replacing diesel.
Produced from organic waste, RNG possesses the ability to power heavy-duty vehicles. By leveraging a form known as “compressed natural gas,” internal combustion engines are provided a steady stream of high-pressure natural gas that runs through the fuel tank and lines. During this transfer, the high pressure is reduced before reaching the engine. This method typically requires retrofitting, but new vehicles are coming assembly lines designed to handle RNG fuel products.
Clean Energy Fuels Corp reportedly plans to provide Golden State fleets with 26 million gallons of fuel, and RNG will comprise 74 percent of that volume. The green energy outfit has boldly stated its goal of zero emissions by 2025.
“Fleets that are looking to lower their emissions are switching to RNG because it can provide immediate and significant carbon reductions,” Clean Energy vice president Chad Lindholm reportedly said. “They’re finding that RNG is the easiest and most cost-effective way to meet sustainability goals.”
The beneficiaries of the RNG supply chain are not necessarily tractor-trailers. Cities such as Pasadena, Sacramento, and Santa Monica plan to utilize the fuel to power public transit, dump trucks, street sweepers, and delivery vans, among others.
“Our adoption of RNG has helped cut emissions by more than 70 percent over the last 5 years, and aligns with our goal of transitioning to a clean energy fleet by 2030, as well as the City of Santa Monica’s plans for carbon neutrality by 2050,” Santa Monica Department of Transportation director Ed King reportedly said.
Although the use of RNG is trending in the West Coast state, the cost of using this green fuel product remains prohibitive for over-the-road truckers. Recent reports indicate that RNG is far more expensive to produce and burn than widely used diesel. Taxpayer-funded subsidies and tax credits helped position the resource for public vehicle use. But like any product that moves into mass production, costs could decline in time.
According to the California Air Resources Board, a Low Carbon Fuel Standard program continues to gain traction. The program recently boasted a below-zero carbon rating, and efforts are underway to produce more renewable fuel.
“When combined with the fact that most natural gas vehicles recently placed into service are powered by near-zero emission engines, the natural gas vehicle industry is providing the most substantial and cost-effective contributions toward California’s goals to reduce criteria and greenhouse gas emissions while eliminating the use of diesel in favor of renewable, low carbon fuels,” California Natural Gas Vehicle Partnership chair Todd Campbell reportedly said.
Sources: truckinginfo.com, ttnews.com
I worked for a utility company and we ran natural gas in most of our trucks except the dump trucks. You lose a lot of power running NG. I don’t know if anything has changed power wise.
Yeah, the tree-hugging bureaucracy is absolutely outrageous in California.