Operational Excellence

May 23, 2007

Kaiser Permanente's Northern California Truck Fleet Switches to Biodiesel Fuel

Cargo and courier trucks in Kaiser Permanente's Northern California region have started to gas up with a biodiesel blend that's expected to help the region's fleet burn thousands of gallons of more environmentally friendly fuel this year and beyond.

The 31 trucks in the region's combined Central Stores and Courier fleet — a mixture of single-axle trucks and semi-tractors — in April started using a 5 percent biodiesel blend, commonly called B5 biodiesel, says Stan Combs, operations manager for the region's Central Stores/Transportation department.

Biodiesel is fuel for diesel-engined vehicles that is derived from vegetable oils or animal fats. Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed his first diesel engine to run on vegetable oil, and fueled it with peanut oil when demonstrating it for the first time at the 1900 World's Fair and Exhibition.

Because its properties are so similar to petroleum-based diesel fuel, biodiesel can be blended in any ratio with conventional diesel fuel. At the same time, biodiesel yields generally lower emissions than conventional diesel fuel.

KP drivers and mechanics are monitoring the vehicles' performance on B5. If all goes well, the trucks will soon burn a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent conventional diesel, which is commonly called B20 biodiesel. The truck fleet is leased, and the trucks' owner prefers a gradual phase-in of biodiesel blends.

"We've asked the drivers if they've noticed a difference, and so far they have not noticed a difference at all," Combs said about using the B5 blend.

KP obtains its biodiesel blend from Golden Gate Petroleum, the largest supplier of biodiesel fuels in the western United States.

Central Stores/Transportation and the Courier department combined burned about 115,000 gallons of diesel fuel in 2006. When the fleet converts to the B20 blend, over the course of a full year the higher blend will displace about 23,000 gallons of conventional diesel fuel.

Combs' trucks, which are part of KP's Procurement and Supply organization, ship out medical/surgical supplies, medical records, and other capital equipment to KP facilities throughout Northern California.

The move to biodiesel was an obvious one, Combs said. "I separate all my recyclables at home," he said. "Whatever we can do to make a difference in the environment, if it makes business sense I think we should do it."

Learn more about biodiesel from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.