Enbridge Gas Partners with City of Hamilton to Fuel Ontario’s First Carbon-Negative Bus

In one year, this renewable natural gas bus will use and divert 450 tonnes of organic waste from the landfill.

HAMILTON, ON – The City of Hamilton and Enbridge Gas publicly announce the first renewable natural gas (RNG) fuelled bus in Ontario. Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) is now the first public transportation authority in Ontario to use RNG, to transport customers. In one year, the HSR RNG bus will use and divert 450 tonnes of organic waste from the landfill. That’s equivalent to 38 garbage trucks, while also displacing CO2 emissions from 36,000 litres of diesel consumed in a year1.

“Renewable natural gas provides an excellent opportunity for the HSR and City of Hamilton to continue our efforts to lower corporate GHG emissions and move toward targets outlined in our Climate Change Emergency declaration and Corporate Energy and Sustainability Policy. We are proud to partner with Enbridge Gas on this innovative initiative that will pave the way to ensure the future of transit in our community is energy efficient and sustainable,” says Mayor Fred Eisenberger City of Hamilton.

RNG vehicle fuel is upgraded biogas; the gaseous product of the decomposition of organic waste from homes and businesses that has been processed into green fuel. This green HSR bus operates with carbon-negative RNG—fuel that goes beyond net-zero—provided from the StormFisher facility in London, Ontario, creating a circular economy in the province; achieving climate change targets, diverting waste from landfills, and supporting economic development, all while decreasing CO2 emissions and providing transit customers with comfort and reliability.

“We are excited to work with the City of Hamilton and Enbridge on this transformational initiative. The use of renewable natural gas as a carbon-negative fuel for public transit is a great example of the steps that need to be taken as we move forward into a net-zero carbon future, and supporting economic development and jobs in Ontario,” says Brandon Moffatt, Vice President, Development & Operations, StormFisher Ltd.

RNG buses cost half compared to electric buses and have a similar fuel price as diesel. Diesel buses can be replaced 1-for-1 with RNG without compromising performance. Like diesel, RNG operates during freezing weather conditions and refuelling takes minutes, not hours. This demonstrates that municipalities can have carbon-neutral transit today without sacrificing performance, reliability or range.

“HSR is proud to have led the transit industry as an early adopter of natural gas to fuel a significant portion of our buses. By leveraging RNG, we’re continuing our legacy of being one of the greenest transit fleets in Ontario and Canada,” says Debbie Dalle Vedove, Director of Transit (HSR).

Today, there are more than 110 operating RNG facilities in North America; with ten of those in Canada. There are over 30 RNG projects in various stages of development or construction in Ontario2. With the Enbridge Gas turnkey, all-inclusive program, and collaboration with governments and partners, we’re advancing innovative energy solutions and helping fleets switch to green RNG today—a cost-effective, low-carbon alternative to diesel fuel.

“The HSR is a prime example of a major transit authority recognizing the environmental benefits and financial value of RNG,” said Cynthia Hansen, President of Enbridge Gas. “We’re pleased to support their efforts by supplying RNG, a cleaner fuel option that will help fight climate change in the region.”

In addition to RNG for transport, Enbridge Gas will soon offer a new Voluntary RNG program which gives customers the choice to support the transition to clean energy through a small monthly contribution ($2) to help offset the increased costs of acquiring carbon-neutral renewable natural gas.

Visit enbridgegas.com/municipaltransit to learn more about RNG and how you can make the switch.

About Hamilton Street Railway (HSR)

HSR is the provider of conventional transit services within the city as a Division of the City of Hamilton’s Public Works Department. With approximately 270 buses on the road each day, it is one of the most visible public services in the community. HSR’s name comes from its early roots when most of the fleet was made of streetcars. Although streetcars are no longer used in Hamilton today, HSR has one of the greenest fleets in Ontario and Canada, with a ridership of more than 21 million customers a year.  HSR is a major employer in the City of Hamilton with over 750 full and part time staff comprised of operators, supervisors, inspectors, mechanics, maintenance, customer service representatives, administrative and management staff.

About Enbridge Gas Inc.

Enbridge Gas is Canada’s largest natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario, with more than 170 years of service to customers. The distribution business provides safe, affordable, reliable energy to about 3.8 million homes, businesses and industries and is leading the transition to a clean energy future through net-zero emissions targets and investments in innovative low-carbon energy solutions. The storage and transmission business offers a variety of storage and transportation services to customers at the Dawn Hub, the largest integrated underground storage facility in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Enbridge Gas is owned by Enbridge Inc., a Canadian-based leader in energy transportation and distribution. Learn more at enbridgegas.com.

References

1 Based on the rate of production from the StormFisher plant, it requires 450 tonnes of organic waste to produce 38,940 m3 of RNG (1500 GJ). 450 tonnes is roughly equivalent to 38 garbage trucks of organic waste (assuming 12 t per truck).

2 Two projects underway in Ontario (Storm Fisher and City of Toronto Dufferin), several projects in pre-construction phase and a number of projects in design/RFP phase.