CalMet Services, Inc. has been a local family-owned and operated business for over 35 years, providing solid waste collection, disposal, and recycling services. CalMet strives to provide waste management services in an environmentally-responsibile manner, and has partnered with Clean Energy to purchase, deploy, and refuel a new fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) refuse collection trucks.
The MSRC contributed $30,000 per vehicle in Clean Transportation Funding, totaling $900,000. This funding was awarded to help offset the incremental cost of the CNG fueled truck as compared to a comparable diesel truck. CalMet Services funded the balance of the project costs, totaling in excess of $7 million.
CalMet Services, with technical support provided by Clean Energy, procured the thirty new CNG trucks from Rush Peterbilt and Diversified Truck Center. In parallel, CalMet and Clean Energy developed a public outreach plan for their webpage that included information about CNG, the MSRC, and the air quality benefits derived from the use of clean-burning fuel.
The objective of this project was to replace existing, older diesel-fueled refuse collection trucks with new vehicles equipped with state-of-the-art CNG engines. Thirty new refuse collection trucks were purchased - the new vehicles are equipped with the Cummins ISL G natural gas engine, which is certified by the California Air Resources Board at an Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) level of 0.13 g/bhp-hr.
The use of lower-emitting alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas, in refuse collection vehicles is a cost-effective air pollution reduction strategy. This strategy has been broadly adopted by the state and local air quality management agencies as well as several local cities and municipalities. The use of CNG also offers significant cost savings to the waste collection companies, as CNG is less expensive on an energy-equivalent basis compared to conventional fuels such as diesel or gasoline.
The CNG-fueled refuse collection trucks are operating daily in revenue service with no major issues reported. The CNG trucks offer reduced emissions of both traditional air pollutants, such as smog-forming hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxides emissions, as well as eliminating diesel exhaust particulate. Diesel particulate matter is classified as a toxic air contaminant and known carcinogen. Since refuse collection vehicles typically operate in neighborhoods, reductions in toxic emissions is extremely important. Also, CNG fuel has a lower carbon content as compared to diesel fuel; thus, greenhouse gas emission are reduced on the order of 20%.
All thirty vehicles were received and placed into revenue service as of August, 2011. To date, CalMet services has not experienced any major technical issues with the natural gas refuse trucks. The new vehicles have provided reliable service and CalMet has received positive feedback from both customers and drivers.