Canola powers Saskatoon transit system

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

After a two-year test project, the Saskatoon Transit System has decided to convert all of its buses to biodiesel fuel created with Saskatchewan canola oil. Effective this summer, all 112 buses in the fleet are running on a one percent blend of canola oil and diesel. Saskatoon Transit Manager Jeff Balon says they began exploring the conversion out of concern for the environment.

“At Saskatoon Transit, we pride ourselves on being stewards of the environment,” says Balon. “We realize that conventional diesel is not a renewable resource. There are some products out there that were worthwhile exploring.”

The initial study was funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada, the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission and the Canadian Canola Growers Association. Over a two-year period, a team headed by University of Saskatchewan engineering professor Barry Hertz studied the impact of using biodiesel in four City of Saskatoon buses.

The study concluded that, over the two-year period, using biodiesel instead of conventional diesel had reduced fuel consumption by three per cent, reduced engine wear on the test buses by 20 per cent, and provided a seven percent decrease in the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the buses.

Transit buses are very long-running vehicles, expected to log close to 1,000,000 kilometres during their operating life. A major overhaul of a bus motor costs an estimated $30,000, so the engine wear reduction is seen as an important means to reduce maintenance.

“The biodiesel provides extra lubricity for the engines and reduces engine wear, a major cost item for us,” says Jeff Balon. “All around, it’s a no-brainer; it’s a big winner for us.”

Saskatoon becomes the first jurisdiction in North America to convert its entire transit bus fleet to biodiesel, and they’ve sparked the interest of transit systems in Regina and Edmonton, as well as the Canadian Urban Transit Association, the national group representing all transit systems in Canada.

It’s no accident that the biodiesel being used in Saskatoon buses is supplied by Milligan Bio-Tech, based in Foam Lake.

“We always look for local suppliers,” says Jeff Balon. “Why wouldn’t we support our own farmers and industry?”

With the initial study in the books and the decision made to go one percent biodiesel, what’s next?

A further study to test a five-per-cent blend in four new buses.

“We’ve ordered two hybrid diesel-electric buses and two brand new conventional 40-foot diesel buses, to compare the use of the five-per-cent blend,” says Balon.

The latest study will take about a year, before a decision is made about increasing the biodiesel blend for the entire fleet.

For more information, contact:
Jeff Balon, Manager
Saskatoon Transit
Phone: (306)975-2630
E-mail: jeff.balon@saskatoon.ca
Website: www.saskatoon.ca