Fuelling our travel
Natural gas, in the form of compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, or renewable natural gas, is used to fuel cars, buses, trucks, and ships. Natural gas is an ideal fuel choice for larger vehicles because of its lower costs and emissions compared with other conventional transportation fuels.
Many cities across Canada are taking advantage of the benefits of natural gas for their public transit and waste collection vehicles, including Toronto, London, Hamilton, Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Medicine Hat, and Red Deer. There are about 20,000 natural gas vehicles in Canada, according to Natural Resources Canada, and this number is increasing as more fleets transition to natural gas.
Additionally, renewable natural gas, which is produced from organic waste, is providing the lowest-cost pathway to lower emissions for transit operators by providing an affordable fuel alternative.
Natural gas: Replacing diesel in transit fleets
How is natural gas making public transit cleaner?
Find out why the City of Hamilton is using Canadian natural gas to fuel one of the greenest transit fleets in Canada.
Fuelling the transportation of goods
Natural gas keeps the economy moving by supporting the transportation of goods such as food, clothing, and building materials to our local stores, different parts of the country, and globally.
Shipping vehicles carry a lot of weight so saving on costs and emissions with a fuel source like natural gas is beneficial.
Benefits of using Canadian natural gas
- Burns cleaner than any other fuel, reducing emissions by 20% compared to diesel
Cities across Canada converting their transit buses to natural gas have reduced their emissions by 13,430 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per year; converting waste collection vehicles has saved 12,750 tonnes of CO2e per year - Fuel costs are on average 38% lower than diesel
Cities who have converted their transit buses to natural gas save about $20 million per year; converting waste collection vehicles saves about $12 million per year - Provides quieter vehicles decreasing noise pollution in urban areas
- Creates investment and jobs within Canada instead of relying on foreign energy supply
- Works reliably in all weather conditions
Sources: https://www.capp.ca/natural-gas/uses-for-gas/, https://www.cga.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Natural-Gas-in-Transportation.pdf