City officials said that approximately 90 vacuum trucks, tractors, backhoes, lawnmowers, pickup trucks, dump trucks, street sweepers, and fire trucks will switch to renewable diesel fuel from the fuel they are currently using, which is standard Number 2 diesel. Fremont’s sustainability manager, Rachel DiFranco, said switching fuel should cause:
“. . . an immediate 13% reduction in total fleet carbon emissions.”
Renewable diesel is made from sources that are 100% renewable, such as animal fats, vegetable oil, and cooking oil. They are refined until they have the identical molecular structure to standard diesel. The renewable diesel will work with Fremont’s current fuel distribution and storage systems and will also work in all diesel engines without any modification. Flyer printing can be used to create mailers for residents regarding improvements like this.
In addition to reducing the emission of carbon dioxide overall, changing the fuel is likely to result in much lower amounts of particulate matter hydrocarbons being released. (These are the plumes of black smoke visible when engines are started.) Switching fuel will also reduce the amount of noxious fumes, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, spewed into the air.
San Francisco and Oakland have used renewable diesel for over five years, and San Leandro switched in 2018. Fremont switched its fleet of school buses approximately two years ago.