Wal-Mart, Westport partner to reduce emissions at California facility

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VANCOUVER, B.C. and BENTONVILLE, Ariz. — Wal-Mart will be introducing four liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuelled Peterbilt 386 trucks into service at Westport Innovations’ distribution centre in Apple Valley, Calif.

The deployment will be supported in part by funding from the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District’s (MDAQMD) Mobile Source Emission Reductions Competitive Bidding Program. Wal-Mart, which operates one of the nation’s largest private fleets, announced its “Sustainability 360” program in 2007 which promotes a holistic approach to integrating sustainability throughout its business.

The objective of this project is to demonstrate the efficiency and significant emissions reduction benefits of Westport LNG fuel systems in heavy-duty trucks. The four trucks in this proposal will be used in Wal-Mart’s over-the-road (OTR) goods distribution operations in the MDAQMD. Officials said the project will also demonstrate the effectiveness of Westport’s commercially available technology and will work to grow the heavy-duty natural gas market.

“Our experience shows that by using natural gas, Westport’s LNG fuel system can help Wal-Mart reduce their fleet vehicles’ greenhouse gas emissions by some 20% and NOx emissions by between 30% and 50% over their diesel equivalents,” said Michael Gallagher, president and chief operating officer of Westport. “This represents a significant milestone for Westport as we have been actively pursuing large private and commercial truck fleets. We are very proud to be given the opportunity to showcase Westport’s innovative approach to commercial transportation with an environmental leader like Wal-Mart.”

“Wal-Mart is careful to consider the civic and environmental impact its operations have in the communities it serves around the world,” says Tim Yatsko, senior vice-president of transportation at Wal-Mart. “We are continually looking for new, innovative ways to reduce the emissions of our fleet. This program will give us an opportunity to evaluate Westport’s low-emissions solution in real-world operations.”

John Wall, vice-president and chief technical officer of Cummins added, “Cummins remains committed to supporting the integration of Westport’s unique LNG fuel system with the Cummins ISX engine. We are confident that Wal-Mart will be impressed with the performance of the HPDI-equipped ISX and that it is the right complement to Cummins ISX clean diesel power in their demanding applications.”

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