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BC Ferries has eliminated the equal of practically 3,000 vehicles from the highway over the previous yr and did so with out altering a single crusing, or the shopper expertise. The important thing to the corporate’s success is in its lately launched 2022 BC Ferries Clear Futures Plan.
Ninety-eight per cent of BC Ferries’ greenhouse fuel emissions comes from the combustion of fuels by vessels, so to scale back that footprint the corporate wants to maneuver prospects in a extra environmentally optimistic method.
“Usually we run our fleet on ultra-low sulphur diesel that accommodates no less than 5 p.c biodiesel (B5),” says Frank Camaraire, director, local weather change coverage for BC Ferries. “However we needed to speed up our aim to satisfy emissions targets and embrace our environmental accountability so we seized a possibility to do each”.
Essentially the most excessive profile examples within the evolution of ferry journey are the six hybrid battery-electric Island Class ferries, the 2 LNG Spirit Class ships, and the 4 LNG Salish Class vessels. Much less seen examples of BC Ferries ‘greening of the fleet’ are the Queen of Oak Bay and Queen of Surrey. The 41-year outdated Queen of Oak Bay has a secret ingredient making her extra environmentally pleasant – 20 p.c biodiesel (B20).
Biodiesel is a clear burning diesel substitute comprised of vegetable oils or animal fat that can be utilized in current diesel engines. When the time got here for BC Ferries to resume its gas settlement with Parkland Corp., the corporate supplied an modern, new gas combination.
“By way of our Burnaby Refinery, Parkland has been a frontrunner within the manufacturing of low-carbon fuels since 2017,” mentioned Ryan Krogmeier, senior vice-president, refining, provide, buying and selling, HSE, Parkland. “More and more, our industrial prospects are searching for methods to lower their carbon emissions. Pushed by our modern practices, we’re capable of present them with the decrease carbon fuels they want. We’re thrilled to be extending our long-standing partnership with BC Ferries, and to have the ability to considerably decrease the carbon depth of the fuels they rely on.”
Operating wealthy on biofuel introduced some key findings early on.
“We began the transition in October 2021,” says Babak Motamedi, captain of the Queen of Oak Bay. “Throughout this time my colleagues and I’ve not seen any distinction in operation of the machineries and propulsion system close to ship’s velocity and maneuvering traits.”
Whereas the B20 conversion was happening on the Queen of Oak Bay, the Queen of Surrey has been present process the same trial utilizing renewable diesel. It comes from the same feedstock as biodiesel however undergoes a distinct course of.
“Renewable diesel has implausible properties and it’ll play an integral function by means of the vitality transition as society strives to decrease emissions,” mentioned Krogmeier. “Very like co-processed fuels, renewable diesel is chemically similar to traditional diesel and could be dropped into current techniques with none modifications. Along with its apparent financial advantages, renewable diesel reduces greenhouse fuel emissions by as much as 75 per cent.”
The 2 trials have eradicated 13,200 tonnes of greenhouse fuel emissions from October 2021 by means of June 2022. That’s just like eradicating 2800 vehicles from the highway for a whole yr with much more formidable targets on the horizon.
“We’re getting ready to transition all of our Metro Vancouver based mostly vessels that at present use standard diesel gas to B20 over the subsequent yr whereas exploring alternatives to extend the biodiesel content material all the way in which as much as 100 per cent (B100),” says Camaraire. “
The brand new gas frontier is thrilling and contains prospects with renewable pure fuel, inexperienced methanol, and electrical energy. Nevertheless, BC Ferries is aware of that new gas know-how isn’t the one avenue to get to web zero. Gasoline is one among 5 areas of motion recognized within the Clear Futures Plan:
•Renewable and alternate fuels
•Electrification
•Operational efficiencies
•Superior Applied sciences
•Fleet Modernization
The 2030 goal for BC Ferries is to scale back the corporate’s 2008 greenhouse fuel emissions by no less than 27 per cent whereas addressing the calls for of a rising inhabitants calling for elevated service.
”There isn’t a lack of ambition to satisfy our targets; it’s about how we get there,” says Camaraire. “That’s the place the 5 areas of motion are available to play, and by making use of innovation, and technical options to every space we’re creating the momentum that sails us to a web zero horizon.”
Do you know?
•In 2022, BC Ferries GHG emissions had been 5 p.c under 2008 baseline ranges
•In 2021, BC Ferries was honoured with two environmental awards for reducing emissions: Blue Circle Award by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and Inexperienced Wave Award by the Prince Rupert Port Authority
•In 2014, BC Ferries joined Inexperienced Marine which is a voluntary environmental certification program for the North American marine transportation trade
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