The Yarra Ranges Shire council claims to be the first in the country to introduce this fuel system that will lead to a 30% reduction in greenhouse emissions and a 15% reduction in fleet operating costs over time.
The council investigated a range of options for reducing the fleet's environmental impact including biodiesel, hybrid electric and hydraulic heavy vehicle technology, before settling on road transport gas (RTG) from gas conversion company LP GAS 1.
Using the RTG system on an Isuzu FVR950 chipper truck, council fleet manager John Ovcaric said they recorded a reduction of 15 litres in fuel consumption per 100 kilometres travelled and a reduction in greenhouse emissions of 0.36 grams per kilometre.
Over 6 years and 120,000 kilometres this will equate to a fuel saving of about $22,000 and a reduction in emissions of 43.31 tonnes, Ovcaric said.
As a signatory to ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability - Cities for Climate Protection, Ovcaric said the council had a commitment to explore alternative fuel solutions to meet its goal of being carbon neutral by end of the year.
"This new technology is a quantum leap forward that hasn't been attempted elsewhere, and which we will adopt across almost the entire fleet," said Ovcaric.
Other councils are moving to reduce the greenhouse emissions associated with their fleets.
Maribyrnong City Council in north-west Melbourne set a goal in January to reduce oil use by 3% annually in council operations starting in 2008/09 and an ultimate 2025 target to cut oil use by 50%.
In March last year, Brisbane City Council released the report A Call for Action that proposed a target of 50% reduction of oil use by 2026. And Marrickville Council in Sydney's inner west has also agreed to adopt the Oil Depletion Protocol, reducing the use of oil-based products within council operations by 3% per year.
