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Leichhardt Council First Biodiesel Fleet in NSW |
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Saturday, 25 March 2006 |
 On Friday afternoon, 24 March 2006, Leichhardt Municipal Council took the green medal in the Earth Olympics when it crossed the finish line in the challenge to become NSW's Greenest Council. LMC has transformed its entire diesel fleet from polluters to reducers by switching their diesel-powered trucks, sweepers, tractors and mowers to B50 Biodiesel, a 50/50 blend of Biodiesel and petrodiesel. In one day LMC has dropped their Greenhouse gas emissions in the diesel fleet by more than 30%, improved overall productivity and established a benchmark for other organizations to contemplate. Although several NSW Councils have trialed Biodiesel, most notably Camden and Newcastle Councils, Leichhardt is the first Council to move their entire diesel fleet to Biodiesel.
The Biodiesel Station supplies the B50 Biodiesel, and the station’s operator, Morris Lyda, says, “The supply chain was the culmination of several weeks of work with Australian Biodiesel Group and Refuelling Solutions P/L. The product is taken from the ABG plant to storage facilities in Botany, blended and distributed in a Refuelling Solutions’ truck, and delivered directly into the fuel tank of the LMC vehicle. This benefits the Council in a number of ways, they receive timely information on consumption, the program eliminates the lost productivity resulting from personnel refueling vehicles at retail outlets, minimizes the potential of fuel contamination that can occur where on-site bulk fuel storage is utilised, and, as a result, the powering of vehicles becomes less expensive, far more environmentally friendly, and demonstrates the Council’s commitment to Earth Ethics".
Leichhardt Municipal Council decided to move to Biodiesel in mid-2005, but was unable to locate a consistent supplier. Shortly after The Biodiesel Station opened, Leichhardt Municipal Council’s, Alan Willding, and Morris Lyda discussed trialing B50 from the Marrickville location, and in late January the first LMC truck fueled-up with a B50 blend. After several trouble-free weeks of trialing B50, the decision was made to advance the program, and ABG’s, Randal Jitts, Refuelling Solutions’, Greg Strom, and TBS’s Lyda, finalised the delivery strategies.
When asked about the issues surrounding the use of B50 Biodiesel, Mr. Willding says, “There is no indication that B50 will increase our maintenance, and we are anxious to transition to B100 sometime in the future”.
”It wasn’t as simple as you would think”, says Greg Strom, General Manager of Refuelling Solutions, we spent a good deal of time preparing this program, and we believe there is a viable market out there that, until now, has not been serviced ”. Randal Jitts of ABG echoes that commitment, "ABG is supportive of all efforts to mainstream the use of Biodiesel, and the application of B50 in local Council vehicles is one of the more pertinent and practical uses of the product. Australian Biodiesel Group’s work with The Biodiesel Station and Refuelling Solutions, has proven to be an excellent synergy, and serves as a viable model for increased uptake while preserving the quality that the Biodiesel industry needs for success."
As oil resources inevitably diminish, fuel prices climb proportionately, and consumers become more aware of the positive contributions they can impart, Biofuels could become the cornerstone of the liquid fuel market. New technologies, spurred by increased biofuel investment, will make the processes more efficient and less costly, but there will always be the need for an organization like Leichhardt Municipal Council to transition from, “talking about it” to “doing it” in the real world. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 25 January 2010 )
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