TransLink begins shift to "renewable diesel" for buses | Daily Hive

TransLink

Some diesel buses on Metro Vancouver’s bus public transit fleet will now use renewable diesel, marking the start of TransLink’s shift away from conventional fossil fuel diesel for diesel-powered buses.

Surrey Transit Centre bus depot will be the first to fully transition to renewable diesel, according to TransLink. This change will begin on January 1, 2024.

Renewable diesel is made through a process that converts organic waste — such as cooking oil, waste animal fats, and vegetable oils — into a cleaner type of fuel.

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Compared to conventional diesel, the use of renewable diesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 80%. It is expected that the shift will reduce the public transit authority’s total greenhouse gas emissions by 6,500 tonnes or 5%.

Surrey Transit Centre, located in Surrey’s Newton area, is the home base for hundreds of buses and dozens of bus routes serving the South of Fraser. The public transit authority also has plans to expand the Surrey Transit Centre.

“By introducing renewable diesel to our bus fleet, we’re doing our part to move away from fossil fuels. Renewable diesel will deliver rapid GHG reductions while we work to electrify our fleet,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn in a statement.

TransLink’s previous climate action plans note that the use of lower-emission renewable diesel provides the public transit authority with a transitionary step over the medium term before it can widely adopt zero-emission battery-electric buses over the long term. Compared to conventional diesel-powered buses, the unit costs for battery-electric buses are higher, plus the added costs for charging and new and improved bus depots to handle such buses.

Other bus depots will also use renewable diesel starting later in 2024. TransLink operates six bus depots across Metro Vancouver, including Vancouver Transit Centre in South Vancouver, which is primarily the home base for trolley buses.

As well, the use of renewable diesel is being explored for the locomotives of the West Coast Express commuter rail and the ferry vessels of SeaBus.

Since 2019, TransLink has adopted the use of renewable natural gas (RNG) for its natural gas-powered bus fleet. The plan is to fully transition to RNG, abandoning fossil fuel-based natural gas, by 2024.

According to TransLink’s latest quarterly report early this month, through 2024, TransLink will be receiving its orders of a combined total of 195 new conventional buses, including 46 units of 60-ft articulated hybrid diesel buses, 134 units of 40-ft renewable natural gas-powered buses, and 15 units of 40-ft battery-electric buses.

Upon inquiry, TransLink told Daily Hive Urbanized there is a “slight cost premium” with the use of renewable diesel.

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