ACE moves to renewable diesel for rail fleet

Northern California’s ACE rail service is to switch to 100% renewable diesel operations.
San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) has made the decision for the train service and the move to renewable diesel will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 99%.
This step is a key milestone for the agency on its path to net-zero emissions operations.
“We are proud to announce that ACE is operating with renewable diesel. Our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions has taken a large step forward,” said Brian Schmidt, director of equipment services at SJRRC. “Our fuel partner, Valley Pacific, has been a key partner in this transition.”
Renewable diesel is made from responsible and sustainable feedstock, such as used cooking oil and/or inedible corn oil.
SJRRC is utilising R100, indicating that the fuel is 100% renewable diesel. Fuel for the ACE fleet is supplied by Valley Pacific Petroleum Services. The ACE fleet will utilise 51,000 gallons of fuel per month.
“Our customers have found that, compared to petroleum-based diesel, renewable diesel works better in their engines, produces less ash, and they’re happy it improves air quality and lowers their carbon footprint,” added Nathan Crum, president and CEO of Valley Pacific.
SJRRC’s first step toward a cleaner fleet came in 2017 with the introduction of the Tier IV Siemens Charger Locomotives which have replaced Tier 0 locomotives in the active fleet. The Siemens Charger Locomotives provide a minor increase in GHG emissions but a substantial improvement in air quality emissions.