$30million gas contract means a cleaner, greener city
26/4/04
The Gallop Government has signed a $30million contract for the supply of gas to the State's growing fleet of clean, green gas-powered buses.
Origin Energy Retail Ltd will supply compressed natural gas (CNG) over 10 years, and install new fast-fill refuelling facilities at Transperth's Morley and Bayswater depots.
The contract with the South Australian-based company covers supply of the gas, supply and installation of the equipment, and 10 years' maintenance of the refuelling equipment and high-pressure storage cylinders on the buses.
The contract also includes an option to expand refuelling facilities to other depots.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said Transperth would take possession of 451 new Mercedes-Benz Euro 4 gas buses during the next seven years.
The first three buses will be delivered next month, on completion of construction at Volgren's body manufacturing facility in Malaga.
"This significant increase on the 99 CNG buses now in Transperth's fleet requires upgraded gas refuelling facilities," Ms MacTiernan said.
"Currently Transperth has only one CNG-equipped depot with slow overnight-fill equipment, which is 14 years old and reaching the end of its service life.
"It is critical that we provide fast-fill gas equipment to service the growing modern fleet of natural gas buses. The new equipment fills a bus in just four minutes."
Ms MacTiernan said the gas supply contract would improve operational reliability and flexibility and would result in a small number of additional Western Australian jobs.
The supply of Australian gas will also make WA more resilient to the price-supply vagaries of the world oil market.
In keeping with the Gallop Government's commitment to making Perth a better place to live, Transperth is gradually replacing its diesel fleet with a new generation of gas-powered buses using WA gas.
The Euro 4 dedicated CNG engine was turbo-charged, fuel-injected and achieved emission levels well in advance of Australia's environmental standards.
It had significantly lower emissions than the existing Euro 2 gas buses, and the Euro 3 levels now required of all new buses by the Australian Design Rules, making WA a leader in providing a clean, green public transport system.