newsworthy
20 DC VELOCITY JUNE 2015 www.dcvelocity.com
Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions achieved by switching commercial trucks from diesel to natural gas engines
will be effective only if fuel providers find a way to plug
methane gas leaks in the natural gas supply chain, according to a study coauthored by Environmental Defense Fund
(EDF) researchers.
“Natural gas trucks have the potential
to reduce overall climate impacts compared to diesel, but only if we clean up
the highly potent greenhouse gas emissions from the systems that produce and
deliver the fuel,” Jonathan Camuzeaux, a
study author and senior economic analyst
at EDF, said in a press release.
Measured solely on the basis of engine
exhaust, natural gas engines are more
environmentally friendly than diesel
engines, the study confirmed. That result
backs up previous findings that have
inspired some shippers, logistics service
providers, and transportation companies
to convert fleets of forklifts and commercial trucks to the cleaner fuel in recent
years.
However, a full accounting reveals that small leaks during
natural gas production, transport, and fueling of individual
vehicles combine every year to release millions of tons of
methane, which is a far more potent greenhouse gas than
the carbon dioxide emitted through fossil fuel combustion
in a standard diesel engine. The finding applies to both liq-
uefied and compressed natural gas fuels.
If left uncorrected, the climate damage done by methane
gas leaks will outweigh the benefits of any reductions in carbon dioxide, researchers contend. That raises questions for
truck and engine manufacturers, shippers, fleet operators,
Unless methane leaks are stopped,
conversion from diesel to natural gas
for heavy-duty trucks could actually
lead to greater warming for the next
50 to 90 years before beginning to provide a climate benefit, according to the
study, published May 19 in the journal
Environmental Science & Technology.
SEARCH FOR POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Efforts to eliminate the methane leaks in
natural gas production are already under
way, according to Natural Gas Vehicles
for America (NGVAmerica), a trade
group supporting the use of natural gas in transportation.
“This study clearly demonstrates that there is a role for
natural gas in addressing climate change,” NGVAmerica
President Matthew Godlewski said in a press release.
Many NGVAmerica members have worked with EDF
and its academic partners on a soon-to-be-published study
about “pump to wheels” methane leakage, Godlewski said.
Environmental benefit of natural gas trucks comes with a catch
The Parcel Forum is launching a Game Changer of the
Year award to recognize companies that are “game
changers” when it comes to their parcel shipping and
distribution operations. … Yusen Logistics (Americas) Inc.
has been named 2014 Intermodal Carrier of the Year by
Continental Mills. … Packsize has won an Edison Award
for its automated iQ Fusion 2 On Demand Packaging
machine. The company received a 2015 Silver award in the
Applied Technology–Industrial Solutions category. … Matt
Schler, vice president of new technologies at Datalogic,
has received the Richard Dilling award from AIM, the
Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility. The
award recognizes individuals who have furthered industry
growth through significant applications and new techno-
logical developments. … Third-party logistics service pro-
vider Kane Is Able Inc. has been named 3PL Partner of the
Year for 2014 by Sam’s Club Stores. ... Kenco, a provider of
integrated logistics solutions, was honored with the Best
Time to Value award presented by JDA Software Group
Inc. for going live with JDA Warehouse Management
in less than nine months and achieving full productivity
within two weeks. … enVista, a supply chain consulting
and IT services firm, has been named to the list of “Best
Places to Work for Recent Grads” by Symplicity, a provider
of career services management solutions. The company
also made The Indianapolis Star’s “Top Workplaces” list
for 2015. … Redwood Logistics was named Supplier of
the Year by Rexam Beverage Can North America. … Two
of Paragon Software Group’s long-term clients were rec-
ognized as “A-Listers” in the Carbon Disclosure Project
accolades
