Westport Innovations

This summer I worked for a company located in Vancouver, British Columbia which develops natural gas and hydrogen fuelled engines. Westport is a joint venture with Cummins, (Cummins is known for their diesel engines). Westport states on their website: The world faces major challenges in the 21st century that are significantly impacted by transportation growth: "oil supply security and the peak in global oil production, rising air pollution levels in the world's rapidly growing cities, and increasing greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change and global warming. Vehicle growth and oil demand in China alone are expected to increase by more than 300% over the next 25 years" ( http://www.westport.com/the_big_picture/index.php). High transportation growth markets like China, India, and Brazil are driving the future energy picture for transportation. All three have been moving towards increased natural gas utilisation. Ultimately, Westport Innovations believes that the global deployment of natural gas vehicles with Westport technologies can be significant factors in:

• reducing dependence on oil, allowing many countries to use abundant, indigenous natural gas,
  
• mitigating the effects of air pollution in cities, and
  
• providing the bridge towards hydrogen-based transportation.

Westport engine technologies combine the power, fuel-efficiency, and performance of diesel engines with the low emissions and operating cost benefits achieved by replacing diesel fuel with natural gas.

Natural gas is a fuel that is extracted from our earth which does present dangers. However, as an alternative to petroleum it is definitely something that should be considered.

Over Christmas break while I was home, I noticed that Translink had purchased a new fleet of buses for the lower mainland district. I was disappointed to note that these buses were not lower emissions buses and were in fact run on diesel. A ground breaking company such as Westport Innovations not to mention Ballard (battery operated) are located in Vancouver. It is stunning that these would be overlooked. China who is leading in reducing emissions is currently implementing these buses throughout their major cities.