Teck Resources Ltd. announced Tuesday the launch of two new electric passenger buses to transport employees to and from its Fording River and Greenhills steelmaking coal operations in the Elk Valley.
The company says these new buses will replace their diesel buses, and will serve as a more environmentally beneficial, cost effective and comfortable employee transport option.
They say these are the first electric passenger buses for employee transport in the Canadian mining industry.
Teck’s President and CEO Don Lindsay said taking action to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve energy and cost efficiency at their operations is a, “key part of our approach to responsible mining”.
“These electric buses are made possible by mining products like steelmaking coal and copper, demonstrating the important role that our industry products play in supporting the important global transition to a low-carbon economy,” said Lindsay.
B.C.’s Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Michelle Mungall, said it is great to see Teck taking action on climate change.
“Switching from diesel to electric buses for employee transportation supports our government’s CleanBC plan, and is another example of the strong leadership and innovation shown by B.C.’s mining industry,” she said.
Teck explained in a release that the benefits of the new electric buses include greenhouse gas reduction and quieter operation. They said each bus is estimated to be the equivalent of taking 10 combustion engine cars off the road, and an estimated 50 per cent reduction in overall cost compared to a standard diesel bus over a 10 to 12 year lifespan.
Teck further explained that since 2011, they have implemented projects and initiatives to reduce GHG emissions at its operations by 289,000 tonnes, the equivalent to taking over 88,000 combustion engine cars off the road. They said these first two electric buses will provide them with important information on the potential of using electric buses more broadly across their operations.
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