Westport Innovations Inc announced that Vedder Transport Ltd of Abbotsford, British Columbia has issued a purchase order for 50 Peterbilt 386 liquefied natural gas (LNG) trucks featuring Westport HD Systems. Vedder Transport Ltd, a division of the Vedder Transportation Group, specializes in the transportation of foodgrade products in a bulk liquid or dry state and offers dedicated and irregular route, truckload, and less-than-truckload freight services throughout Canada, and between Canada and the United States.
The new trucks, powered by Westport HD, will be used on routes within southern British Columbia primarily servicing the bulk foodgrade industry such as the British Columbia Dairy Producers and other liquid or dry state worldwide agricultural organizations.
Terasen Gas, a subsidiary of Fortis Inc, the largest distributor of natural gas in British Columbia, will fuel the Vedder Transport natural gas fleet through a planned LNG refueling station in Abbotsford, which is expected to be built in 2011. In addition, Terasen Gas, through its Energy Efficiency and Conservation program, will offset the incremental cost of using LNG-powered trucks rather than their traditional diesel counterparts.
“This is a significant order for LNG trucks in western Canada,” said Clark Quintin, president of Westport’s HD division. “It further demonstrates that natural gas is rapidly becoming a mainstream fuel solution for the trucking industry in Canada. With the Province’s 33% carbon reduction target by 2020, substantial commitment from Vedder Transport and Terasen Gas to operate LNG trucks is helping the province achieve this target.”
The Westport HD System consists of the GX 15-liter engine, proprietary Westport fuel injectors, LNG fuel tanks with integrated cryogenic fuel pumps, and associated electronic components to facilitate performance and reliable operation. The Westport HD GX engine is certified and compliant to 2010 US Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board emission limits in North America.