‘Soot-free’ buses coming to 20 major cities

Scania will provide ‘clean’ buses to 20 major cities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Australia, and has called for more investment in cleaner fuels.  

The ‘soot-free’ buses are designed to address the issue of black carbon – fine particulate matter (PM2.5) outdoor air pollution which has been linked to a series of adverse health effects and even death. Recent scientific research has shown that black carbon also plays a significant role in climate change.

Scania, which is owned by Volkswagen, manufactures and sells soot-free buses which it claims effectively produce up to 99% fewer black carbon emissions than older diesel engine technology. Globally, only one-fifth of the buses in use have soot-free engines.

“There is a growing opportunity to create economic, environmental, and human health benefits by transitioning the highest emitting and oldest engines in the global urban bus fleet to the cleanest fuels and engines available,” states the Global Industry Partnership.

The transition to soot-free buses is an initiative led by the International Council on Clean Transportation, ICCT, and UN Environment in cooperation with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and the Centro Mario Molina – Chile.

The 20 cities targeted by the scheme are Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Casablanca, Dar es Salaam, Dhaka, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Lagos, Lima, Manila, Mexico City, Nairobi, Santiago, São Paulo, and Sydney.

As part of the scheme, the 20 cities will provide fuel for engines that meet the Euro 6 or US 2010 emission standards, including diesel fuel with less than 100ppm sulphur and other low-carbon ‘alternative’ fuels such as biodiesel, gas and ethanol. Scania is able to provide buses that run on all of these fuels.

“To tackle the challenge of poor air quality and climate change, Scania is proud to offer clean bus solutions operating at lower cost than today’s conventional diesel operations,” says Karin Rådström, Head of Buses and Coaches at Scania.

According to a statement from Scania, the company will make the buses available to the 20 cities, but the transition will require the “commitment and engagement” of several partners. Fuel and importers will need to invest in cleaner fuels, while fleet owners “must” prioritise the procurement of soot-free technology.

“National and local governments have the responsibility to set environmental performance standards for new buses, establish the necessary fuel quality standards, ensure that adequate infrastructure is in place, and implement a comprehensive air quality management program to protect public health and the environment,” the press release states.