RICHMOND, B.C. (Nov. 28, 2003) — Natural Resources Canada has officially unveiled the Commercial Transportation Energy Efficiency Rebate Program for trucking fleets as part of the government’s Kyoto plan to reduce engine idling and cut greenhouse gases.

The $21.3 million program, which Today’s Trucking first reported this past summer, offers rebates of up to 19 per cent between $350 and $1,400 on cab heater and air conditioning units or auxiliary power generators as alternatives to idling. The entire program, which will be administered by NRCan’s FleetSmart in cooperation with equipment suppliers, also promises investment in biodiesel projects and a plan to explore AC power at truck stops.

Customers who purchase qualifying anti-idling equipment after August 12, 2003 are eligible for the rebate. They must record the reduction in emissions over a period of 12
to18 months through a chip that the supplier must install in the devices. Suppliers will then be able to precisely measure the difference in the amount of fuel used before and after.

According to NRCan, the average truck or bus engine consumes approximately four litres of diesel fuel an hour when idling at 900 revolutions per minute — each litre producing 2.8 kilograms of greenhouse gasses (GHGs). Potentially, says the government, technology from such auxiliary equipment could eliminate 40 to 90 per cent of GHGs.

“This program will help our partners in the trucking industry to do their part and contribute to addressing climate change,” said Natural Resources Minister Herb Dhaliwal at the project announcement in Richmond, B.C. earlier this morning. “The rebates that the program offers will help truck drivers reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that result from doing their jobs, while improving their comfort and saving money … By using equipment that heats, cools and powers truck cabs without running the engine, emissions can be reduced by a remarkable amount.”