Together, the two companies say they plan to invest
“There are plenty of trucking fleets that have shown interest already, so we’re feeling really good about our plan,"
“Most of the customer-facing truck haulers . . . their customers want them to be sustainable."
While still a fossil fuel, natural gas is more environmentally friendly than diesel, with a 20 per cent lower C02 emissions profile. Converting one semi truck to CNG from diesel is the equivalent of taking up to five passenger vehicles off the road.
There are other options that the long-haul trucking sector is looking at to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint. In the
RNG is not a fossil fuel — it's made from organic waste. Switching from diesel to RNG drastically reduces carbon emissions by an average of 300 per cent, Littlefair said.
However, in
Electric semi trucks may also someday be an option, though right now they don't have the range or power that trucking companies are looking for.
In the meantime, natural gas is abundant, easily distributed and affordable.
"We have to reduce emissions now. It’s not about what we can do three decades from now," said Tourmaline CEO
The first station under the agreement is located north of
One
CEO
"CNG is the future. This makes business sense," Mullen said.
Currently, only around two per cent of new Class A heavy-haul trucks sold in
"We’ve got a lot (of natural gas trucks) on order, but I can’t get them because the supply is tight. And the reason is because the industry across
"The change is happening so quickly that it’s creating bottlenecks in the supply chain."
Mullen said by the end of the decade, 50 per cent of the vehicles he purchases for his fleet will likely be powered by natural gas, RNG or something else that isn't diesel.
"I can feel it when I talk to my industry peers. There's a lot of change happening," Mullen said.
"I don't see anybody that's denying it."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published
Companies in this story: (TSX:TOU, TSX:MTL)
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