Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), the largest gas distribution utility in the U.S., says it will convert 200 new Ford F-250 service pickup trucks to run on renewable natural gas (RNG).
The trucks will be outfitted with the newest Landi Renzo Eco Ready equipment, a California Air Resource Board (CARB) certified ultra-low emissions system. With the addition of these 200 new net-zero emissions service trucks, nearly 40% of SoCalGas’ service vehicles will run on clean fuels.
“This project is one of the many decarbonizing initiatives we’re implementing here at SoCalGas as we continue to move towards a net-zero future,” says Sandra Hrna, vice president of supply chain and operations support at SoCalGas. “In order to achieve our sustainability goals, we work to build strong relationships with innovative partners to help us continue delivering technologies to further decarbonize the transportation sector.”
Depending on its source, RNG can be carbon negative, meaning it avoids more emissions than it emits when produced and used as a fuel. Capturing methane from waste sources and converting it into RNG keeps GHG emissions with high global warming potential from entering the atmosphere and reduces the use of fossil fuels.
Last year, SoCalGas and the South Coast Air Quality Management District provided $600,000 toward Landi Renzo’s natural gas engine development program to modify and develop a 7.3 L CARB- and EPA-certified CNG engine for commercial vehicle applications.
Landi Renzo USA is partnering with two local companies on this project – Phenix Truck Body and CTEC Truck Body. The Landi Renzo Eco Ready CNG system is designed and engineered from the base Ford 6.2 L engine in partnership between Landi Renzo USA and Ford Motor Co. The fleet conversion is expected to be complete by the end of the year.
Compliments to SoCalGas on it’s continued use and promotion of Renewable Natural Gas. Simple fact is that RNG has the exact properties of fossil natural gas and can serve as “transition fuel” to seamlessly supply fuel to anything that presently uses fossil natural gas. Cooking, Heating, Fuel for Electric Power Plants, and now for transportation using the identical Internal Combustion Engines mass produced and used now by converting from diesel to RNG. Identify the Organic Waste Sites (farms, municipal waste, landfill gas, food spoilage), develop these sites to produce RNG by capturing released biogas, and inject the RNG into the… Read more »