Feds pave the way for more natural gas transports
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
A new government and industry initiative looks to increase the use of liquefied natural gas in medium and heavy-duty transportation across Canada
OTTAWA—The Canadian government is set to launch a roadmap to guide market development for natural gas as a transportation fuel in Canada.
A meeting between industry and government officials today includes representatives from Canada’s trucking, oil and gas, manufacturing and transportation industries.
The roadmap’s focus for market development will be medium- and heavy trucks and buses that operate in regional corridors and urban fleets.
“Natural gas is an affordable, lower-emission fuel and industry is making significant investments to bring it into the transportation market. Collaboration will accelerate fleet use and create the right conditions for even greater private sector investment,” said Wayne Geis, vice president of Encana Corporation.
Natural Resources Canada’s ecoENERGY for Alternative Fuels initiative provides support for early stage roadmap implementation work including the creation of a bilingual, national website, the establishment of two regional resource hubs to support fleets and the re-initiation of codes and standards activities for natural gas vehicles.
Natural gas use in transportation can open a new market for an abundant Canadian resource and help offset declining exports to the U.S.
New jobs for Canadians will be created in the supply chain for fuel, vehicles and stations as North American market demand increases.
Canada’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) highway truck projects recently launched in Québec and British Columbia.
The first Canadian natural gas ferries were also recently announced in Québec. Surrey, B.C., is Canada’s first municipality to require the use of lower-emission natural gas trucks for residential refuse collection.
