As TFL continue to
roll out the New Routemaster bus for the Central London routes, they have just
announced that one third of London Buses are to run on waste fats and oil.
From
the TFL press release:
ONE THIRD OF LONDON’S
BUSES TO RUN ON WASTE FATS AND OILS
Almost
a third of London's bus fleet will soon be running on a greener blend of
diesel, resulting in a huge reduction in CO2 emissions of 21,000 tonnes each
year which comes on top of the 48,000 tonne CO2 reduction from 2013 levels as a
result of the introduction of lower emitting buses such as hybrids.
Two
bus operators, Stagecoach and Metroline, have signed deals with Argent Energy
to supply them with B20 green diesel. The cleaner burning fuel is made from
blending diesel with renewable biodiesel from waste products, including cooking
oil and tallow from the meat processing trade.
By
March next year, almost 3,000 of the capital's 8,900 buses will be powered by
the B20 fuel blend. Six hundred and forty-two buses operating out of four
Stagecoach depots have already been using B20 for two months on a trial basis.
Deputy
Mayor for Environment and Energy, Matthew Pencharz, said: `As a leading global
city London has an important role to play in reducing greenhouse gases and
minimising our contribution to climate change.
`Just
a fortnight after the Mayor's visit to the Paris conference on preventing
global warming, I am very pleased to announce that nearly a third of London's
buses will now be running on biodiesel, slashing the overall carbon emissions
of the fleet and making use of fuels that would otherwise be clogging up our
drains. These buses will be a proud addition to what is already the greenest
bus fleet in the world, including hybrid, pure electric and pure hydrogen
vehicles.
`This
is ongoing progress for running our bus fleets on waste products and cutting
CO2. We will continue to work with our industry partners to use more of
London's used cooking oil turned into biodiesel right here in the city,
creating green jobs and fuel self-sufficiency benefits.'
Mike
Weston, TfL's Director of Buses, said: `Our bus fleet is now making a major
contribution to improving air quality and bringing down CO2 emissions. This
improvement, which will reduce CO2 emissions by 21,000 tonnes each year, is
being introduced now with no extra spend needed and no long delay for the
fitting of new kit. It's just one of a number of measures we are taking to make
London's environment better for everyone.'
Dickon
Posnett, Development Director of Argent Energy, said: `The ever-growing demand
to reduce greenhouse gases from transport is well recognised. TfL and the
Greater London Authority have actually done the research and have now shown
they have the understanding of the immediate benefits that high bio-blend
diesel can bring.
`They
and London bus companies are leading the way in using this economic and simple
option that can produce significant greenhouse gas reductions from bus fleets,
here and now. The good example set here can only help to inform other UK cities
that are also looking to make greenhouse gas savings.'
Biodiesel
is a renewable, clean-burning fuel. TfL requires that biodiesel blended into
B20 for London buses is made from waste, rather than crop-based feedstocks. It
is estimated that buses running on waste-based B20 produce 10% less 'well to
wheel' carbon emissions than a bus using ordinary diesel.
London's
bus network is one of the largest in the world, carrying almost 2.4 billion
passengers a year. Currently, the 8,900-strong bus fleet uses around 240
million litres of fuel each year. Under the new deals, about 80 million litres
of the new greener blend of fuel per year will be consumed.
The
Capital's bus fleet already has over 1,500 hybrid electric buses and 15 pure
electric buses. Over 2,000 older buses have been retrofitted with Selective
catalytic Reduction, reducing their NOx emissions by up to 88% per bus. The
number of hybrid buses will increase to over 1,700 by 2016 - a figure that will
represent over 20% of the fleet.
In
addition, eight zero emission hydrogen buses operate on route RV1, between
Covent Garden and Tower Gateway. TfL will also soon be trialling inductive
charging technology that will enable special extended range diesel electric
hybrid buses to wirelessly charge their batteries while they wait at bus
stands.
The
technology will be trialled on up route 69 in east London, which runs between
Canning Town and Walthamstow bus stations.
The
world's first purpose-built double deck electric buses will also enter
passenger service shortly. By 2020, as part of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, TfL
is committed to ensuring all 300 single decker buses operating in central
London are zero emission (e.g. electric or hydrogen), and all 3,100 double deck
buses are hybrid.
What TFL forgot
to mention in their press release was that routes 507 and 521 will be fully
converted to single deck electric buses by 27th August 2016. Currently, route 312 has a full
allocation of battery powered single deck electric buses.
Should TFL buy
more zero emission electric buses than the 3 door 2 staircased New Routemaster
bus? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.
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me on Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest and Google Plus which is @Clondoner92 for
all the latest updates.
Image attribute
"Metroline West TP1508 on Route 282, Greenford Broadway (16147831456)" by Aubrey Morandarte from Guildford or Coventry, England - Metroline West TP1508 on Route 282, Greenford Broadway. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metroline_West_TP1508_on_Route_282,_Greenford_Broadway_(16147831456).jpg#/media/File:Metroline_West_TP1508_on_Route_282,_Greenford_Broadway_(16147831456).jpg