Hamilton, Ontario — What’s that smell? The smell of progress.
The City of Hamilton and Enbridge Gas are pleased to announce the first renewable natural gas (RNG) fuelled bus in Ontario is bound for the Steel City’s streets.
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger announced on Thursday that the city had managed to fuel the province’s first RNG bus which is expected to divert 450 tonnes of organic waste from the landfill; the equivalent to 38 garbage trucks, while also displacing CO2 emissions from 36,000 litres of diesel consumed in a year.
“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,” said Eisenberger.
RNG fuel is an updated version of biogas, the gaseous product of the decomposition of organic waste from homes and businesses that has been processed into green fuel.
According to the press release from Enbridge, the “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.”
“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,” said Brandon Moffatt, v-p of development and operations for StormFisher Ltd.
