Young’s Commercial Transfer says they are committed to reducing 75% of their carbon output through RNG, CNG changes in fuel
PORTERVILLE – One of the nation’s largest ag distributors is taking a hard look at their carbon footprint, and attempting to make a difference.
Young’s Commercial Transfer, locally owned in Porterville, is undertaking their largest green initiative yet, kicking off 2021 with the goal of reducing their carbon emissions by 75% over the next three years.
Young’s has committed to reducing their carbon footprint through a strategic alliance with their grower-partners and TruStar Energy. By harnessing a byproduct of the central valley’s agriculture sector, Young’s will use Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) to power the future of California’s agricultural economy.
Young’s is partnering with TruStar Energy to capture RNG from dairies in the Central Valley to power the delivery of ag products.
RNG is pipeline-quality natural gas produced from the decomposition of organics wastes, which can come from a variety of sources such as landfill waste, waste treatment plants and dairy farms. It is the most sustainable commercially available transportation fuel and provides additional and significant greenhouse gas reductions over traditional CNG and diesel.
TruStar Energy has developed long term RNG production facility contracts to market dairy gas as Renewable Gas which is transferred into Southern California Gas Company’s existing pipeline. They also partner with truck fleets in the central valley to distribute and use this RNG as fuel which saves money and helps to clean the air in the San Joaquin Valley.
But that is not to say that CNG is not a major part of the company’s fleet of clean vehicles.
The ag distributor purchased 40 CNG trucks in June of 2020 and is adding 30 additional trucks each year to reach its goal of 75% carbon reduction by 2024. This is equivalent to over 70,000,000 pounds of carbon that will not go into the atmosphere. Each gasoline gallon equivalent of RNG used in place of a 2019 model diesel engine results in an 84% reduction in carbon creation.
A current model diesel engine creates 32.75 pounds of carbon emissions with each gallon consumed, whereas a current model CNG engine creates 4.75 pounds of carbon emissions per gallon of RNG consumed. That is a 28-pound reduction in carbon emissions per gallon of RNG used instead of diesel.
Young’s claims there are several market benefits to CNG. They state that this form of fuel is “the most stable transportation fuel currently available with the ability to lock in prices for multi-year periods.” And they add that it is considerably cheaper than diesel.
The company also claims that CNG fuel is less dangerous and, “CNG will only ignite at an extremely hot temperature.”
About Young’s Commercial Transfer
Young’s Commercial Transfer hauls tomatoes, potatoes, citrus and carrots, as well as operating a feed division transporting byproducts from citrus juice and beer production for use as cattle feed. Family owned and operated since 1935, the company’s position as the largest ag hauler in the United States means that it is uniquely positioned to lead the way toward sustainability.
