Mission’s West Coast Express is leaving fossil fuels behind.
TransLink announced on Wednesday (Sept. 18) that the West Coast Express fleet is converting to renewable diesel.
In a news release, TransLink said the change brings the transit authority closer to achieving its net-zero emissions goals.
“Converting the West Coast Express to renewable diesel is an important step towards achieving a zero-emission future,” TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn said in a statement. “Customers can feel good knowing that each trip to and from the Fraser Valley is helping to reduce the region’s carbon footprint.”
Per the release, the move to renewable diesel delivers a 97 per cent greenhouse gas reduction across the fuel life cycle, compared to fossil fuel diesel.
“In total, this means a 3,200-tonne annual greenhouse gas reduction, or the equivalent of taking 940 cars off the road per year,” the release reads.
Renewable diesel comes from organic waste, such as used cooking oil, waste animal fats, and vegetable oils while burning cleaner than fossil fuel diesel.
TransLink previously transitioned to renewable diesel at the Surrey Transit Centre in December 2023, followed by Port Coquitlam Transit Centre and the Vancouver Transit Centre earlier in 2024.
TransLink’s Climate Action Strategy targets a 45 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases from 2010 levels 2030. The organization is committed to moving to a zero-emission bus fleet by 2040.
