August 14, 2007. . .Whistler's WAVE bus fleet has switched to biodiesel gas this week, announced the municipality and BC Transit today.

“Whistler is committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed. “The municipality has successfully employed biodiesel in its own fleet since 2004, and moving to biodiesel in the transit fleet while we transition to other, cleaner energies as they become available, is an important step in the right direction.”

"BC Transit is committed to the testing and use of alternate fuels," says BC Transit Chair Kevin Mahoney. "Biodiesel is a cleaner burning fuel than petrodiesel and reduces both tailpipe emissions and greenhouse gases."

The switch to biodiesel is being implemented immediately. The cost of using biodiesel, which is being supplied by West Coast Biodiesel, will be the same as or less than using regular diesel fuel.

Biodiesel requires no modification to the diesel engines or to the fuelling infrastructure and is made from renewable sources such as vegetable oil, usually canola and soybean oil in Canada and the United States. It can be blended with regular diesel fuel in a variety of blends, five per cent and 20 per cent being the most common. 

To ensure quality, BC Transit purchases biodiesel from a BQ9000 certified producer. When combined with Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel and biodiesel, this technology has significant environmental benefits.

In the Throne Speech, February 13, 2007, the provincial government committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 33 per cent by 2020.  The provincial government announced it would adopt a five per cent biodiesel requirement in provincial diesel fuel supplies by 2010.

Transit systems across the province will play a key role in meeting this target. BC Transit is ahead of schedule and the migration to biodiesel in the Whistler region and dozens of other transit service areas will help to increase the market demand for biodiesel in BC.

What is biodiesel?
Biodiesel is a cleaner burning, biodegradable alternative fuel that can be combined with petroleum diesel to fuel diesel engines. It is produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oils and animal fats, including low-grade recycled cooking oils and trap grease. However, oils and fats that have not been chemically modified are not biodiesel and can cause long term damage to diesel engines. To ensure quality, BC Transit purchases biodiesel from a BQ9000 certified producer.

Why use biodiesel?
Biodiesel:

• Reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and harmful tailpipe emissions, including particulate matter;
• Is made from up to 90% from renewable resources;
• Is well tested and has proven successful in various blend ratios;
• Is rapidly becoming more available as the demand increases in the United States, Canada, Europe and other parts of the world;
• Is currently less expensive than petrodiesel;
• Requires no changes to the existing infrastructure for fuel distribution and delivery and no modifications to transit bus diesel engines;
• Increases fuel lubricity (the capacity for reducing friction) and reduces engine wear and maintenance costs;
• Has the added advantage of being exempt from certain taxes: the federal government has exempted biodiesel from the federal excise tax, and the Province of BC has exempted it from provincial fuel taxes.

Does biodiesel help to decrease GHGs (compared to petrodiesel)?
According to the (US) National Biodiesel Board , biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions and improves air quality and public health. Specifically, biodiesel produces significantly less carbon dioxide (a key greenhouse gas), unburned hydrocarbons (smog/ozone) and particulate matter (linked to respiratory disease). According to the Environmental Protection Agency's (US) Office of Transportation and Air Quality, replacing one gallon of petroleum diesel with biodiesel reduces GHG emissions by approximately 78%.

Is biodiesel an "experimental" fuel or has it been used commercially?
Biodiesel has been used commercially on a large scale throughout Europe for many years and the biodiesel industry is growing rapidly in the United States. Biodiesel is also gaining popularity in Eastern Canada.

Which other transit systems are using biodiesel?
Victoria Regional Transit began running 220 buses, community buses and handyDART vehicles on biodiesel in May, using B5 and has since increased to B20. Recently the Regional District of Nanaimo began running all transit vehicles and the Regional Landfill Station's diesel-powered equipment using B5.  Toronto Transit is running 1300 buses on biodiesel, using B20 in the summer and B5 in the winter.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler began running its municipal fleet on B20 biodiesel in 2004.

Why not use B100?
It is not possible to use B100 in existing internal combustion engines without major adjustments.  B5 biodiesel requires no changes, except the use of inexpensive filters, and has been well tested.

Why biodiesel versus other alternative fuels?
The migration to biodiesel can be implemented right away with no modifications required either to the fuelling infrastructure or to the diesel engines in transit vehicles.

The RMOW is using biodiesel as an alternative fuel in its municipal fleet while transitioning to alternatives, such as hybrids, natural gas and electric vehicles as these technologies continue to develop and become viable. 

What is the future for biodiesel?
On December 20, 2006, the Federal Government announced its intent to regulate a 2% biodiesel content in diesel fuels, effective no later than 2012. On February 27, 2007, the provincial government announced it would adopt a 5% biodiesel requirement in provincial diesel fuel supplies by 2010.

What is the cost of WAVE Transit's migration to biodiesel?
Neither the bus engines nor the fuelling infrastructure will require modification, so there will be no capital costs. Currently biodiesel is approximately the same cost per litre as petrodiesel when combined with shipping and handling.

How much fuel does transit use?
WAVE Transit uses about 112,000 litres of fuel a year. At a B5 level, 5,600 litres each month will be biodiesel or 67,200 litres of biodiesel per year.

Who will supply the biodiesel?
WAVE through BC Transit has signed a contract with West Coast Biodiesel.

What about quality control?
Properly treated biodiesel meets the internationally recognized standards. All biodiesel used in BC Transit fleets will meet or exceed the ASTM D6751 standard.