Port of Vancouver, USA first to step up to biodiesel challenge

Edition 32 - Environment, Health & Safety

The Port of Vancouver, USA is one of the first pots in the United States to replace regular diesel fuel with environmentally-friendly biodiesel for use in almost all of its own vehicles and heavy equipment. Biodiesel is a cleanerburning diesel fuel made from vegetable oil, including recycled cooking oil. While pure biodiesel contains no petroleum, it can be blended with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend.

B20

The Port of Vancouver is using a combination 20 per cent biodiesel blended with 80 per cent regular diesel, called ‘B20.’ Use of B20 biodiesel can result in a reduction of emissions by up to 20 per cent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “One of the key tenets of our mission is to be a leader in environmental stewardship,” said Larry Paulson, Port of Vancouver, USA Executive Director. “In addition to reducing emissions in our work environment, this change will help support a new market for Washington agricultural products and reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”

Last April, Washington legislators passed a law that requires all state agencies to use a minimum of 20 per cent biodiesel for state fleet vehicles by 2009. The Port of Vancouver was the first public port in the state to implement a programme for compliance.

Structured phase-in key to switch

Close monitoring of vehicle fuel filter systems and a process to phase-in the conversion from regular diesel to biodiesel in port vehicles was key to successfully making the switch to the alternative fuel, according to Mark Savage, the port’s lead mechanic. Savage said the carefully structured process of extra filtration and increased replacement of equipment filters prevented problems for vehicles, such as clogged fuel lines and engine malfunctions that other companies have experienced when making the switch to biodiesel. Because the biodiesel acts as a solvent, it can dislodge sediments that have built up in vehicle fuel tanks from the use of regular diesel. By gradually increasing the percentage of biodiesel in the fuel blend and changing filters more frequently, clogged fuel lines and other impacts to the engine can be prevented, he explained. The process for complete conversion to B20 biodiesel in the average vehicle at Port of Vancouver took about 12 weeks or 100 to 200 gallons of fuel. According to Tom Ver r y, Director of Outreach and Development for the National Biodiesel Board, Port of Vancouver, USA is the first port to make the switch to biodiesel for all of its diesel vehicles and equipment.

The Port began its conversion programme in late March and by July had successfully completed the switch to B20 for all of its diesel-fueled vehicles and heavy equipment, including about two dozen trucks, tractors, cranes, loaders, an excavator, backhoe and Tamper Canron. Estimated annual fuel usage is 10,978 gallons for 2006. That number could increase to 16,228 in 2007 with the addition to the Port’s vehicle fleet of a Liebherr LHM 500S heavy lift crane, the largest mobile harbor crane in North America. In making the purchase, the port required that the new crane be biodiesel compatible, to comply with its renewable fuels programme.

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