Biodiesel in Calgary, Alberta

4Refuel is the LEADER in fuel management services in Canada. We supply over 1 million liters per month of blended biodiesel to municipal and corporate fleets throughout the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Province of British Columbia . On-site biodiesel refuelling allows fleet operators to reduce overhead and improve efficiency since vehicles are refuelled during idle hours, saving you time and money. Last year our clients saved over $5.5 million in refuelling costs.

Calgary and the Ecofuel Biodiesel Project

Biodiesel is booming in Alberta, with the City of Calgary leading the way. Nearly one million litres of biodiesel has been used in the City’s municipal vehicles as of April 30, 2006. Beginning with a single six-month pilot project fuelling one fire truck, the City of Calgary now fuels 77 vehicles with biodiesel from various municipal services, including Waste Management, Recycling, Water Services and the Fire Department.

The Ecofuel Biodiesel project was also supported by the Alberta Bio-Diesel Association (ABDA), an organization dedicated to educating fleet managers about the benefits of switching to biodiesel refuelling, including how easy it is to switch from petro-diesel to biodiesel. Since any diesel engine can run on biodiesel, converting any of the remaining 900 diesel vehicles for the City of Calgary can happen overnight.

Due to Alberta’s cold temperatures in the winter months, approximately 75% of the City of Calgary’s biodiesel is B5 (95% petro-diesel, 5% biodiesel) to prevent “gelling” of the fuel. The remaining 25 % is B20 (20% biodiesel, 80% petro-diesel).

Objectives of the Calgary Ecofuel Biodiesel Pilot Project

1. To evaluate the cold-weather operability of B5 biodiesel in the Province of Alberta
2. To identify the effect of using biodiesel / Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel on vehicle performance, maintenance and operator satisfaction over time
3. To monitor the impact of friction wear, coking and biodiesel’s solvent properties on fleet engines
4. To evaluate the impact on blend quality, stability and consistency when blending Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel and biodiesel by inline injection
5. To collect data on Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel / biodiesel blend’s effect on emission reduction
6. To further develop best practices for B5 distribution to retail and bulk fuelling sites in Alberta

The results of the pilot project were positive, and it is expected that the demand for biodiesel in Calgary is going to grow among public and private sector fleets with increased awareness of the benefits for fleet operators, vehicles and the environment.

Contact 4Refuel today for more information on biodiesel refuelling in Calgary.

Coming Soon: The Calgary Biodiesel Centre - Alberta’s First Biodiesel Refinery

In the works for 2007 is the Calgary Biodiesel Centre spearheaded by Patrick Luft and Perry Toms. Located just outside of Calgary, the facilities may produce up to 20 million litres of biodiesel fuel each year from recycled cooking oil and beef tallow from Alberta’s own cattle industry using licenced technology developed by the Australian Biodiesel Group.