Helping Residents Breathe Easier
Chicago Park District fuels park equipment with biodiesel to cut harmful emissions, promote sustainability
By Mike Levin
Photos: Chicago Park District
In a city that records among the highest asthma death-rates in the country, Chicago parks and lakefronts provide welcome respites for residents seeking green space and fresh air. With assets that encompass 8,700 acres, and more than 600 parks, 27 beaches, and 26 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago Park District (CPD) significantly reduces its environmental impact and improves sustainability by using renewable and cleaner-burning biodiesel
A Chicago Park District tractor pulls a beachcomber on the shores of Lake Michigan. Diesel-powered park vehicles run on biodiesel manufactured using recycled cooking oil.
CPD started using biodiesel in 2013, blending it with petroleum diesel at an average annual blend of 16 percent biodiesel (or B16). Blends now reach as high as 50 percent depending on weather, with blends averaging 20 percent or more year-round.
Biodiesel blends fuel a variety of diesel-powered CPD equipment and vehicles, ranging from lawnmowers to log-loader trucks. A total of 200 park vehicles run on 10 to 20 percent biodiesel, and another 56 vehicles utilize biodiesel blends of 10 to 50 percent. These higher blends can be used in any of the park’s diesel vehicles with no engine modifications required.
“Through our increased use of biodiesel, the park district is taking advantage of a practical and immediately useable alternative fuel that is shown to reduce emissions and will provide cleaner air for a healthier Chicago,” says General Superintendent Michael Kelly.
CPD is now taking these efforts a significant step further with a pilot program using B100 in refuse haulers. What drives these moves toward biodiesel? What implications do they have for other park managers? A closer look at the CPD biodiesel journey will answer those questions.
CPD’s Biodiesel Journey
The district’s biodiesel fuel starts as recycled cooking oil. In a unique partnership, Darling Ingredients collects and donates used cooking oil from Chicago-area restaurants. Renewable Energy Group (REG) in Seneca, Ill., processes the used oil into B100 that meets strict biodiesel-fuel quality standards, including BQ-9000 and ASTM D6751 specifications.
After processing, the B100 fuel is returned to the park district and stored for blending on-site. The fuel-blending system allows CPD to adjust the biodiesel-blend percentage on a day-to-day basis, depending on weather conditions and availability of B100. A card-swipe system at the fueling station tracks the fuel consumed by each vehicle and collects data for sustainability reporting.
“By tracking our vehicles, we can show that we have not had one maintenance issue related to our fuel,” says Mike Dimitroff with the Chicago Park District Department of Natural Resources. “In fact, we’ve shown that using biodiesel contributes to increased efficiency.”
The B100 Pilot Project
After successfully using increasingly higher biodiesel blends, CPD pushed its biodiesel program to another level by testing B100 in two of its refuse haulers. The vehicles collect trash on Chicago’s lakefront and in nearby city parks. The haulers operate at high-idle and low-speed, requiring frequent stops for collection. This situation creates potential for increased soot and emissions, leading to potentially unpleasant air quality for both park users and workers.
The B100 pilot project began in early 2019 when CPD fitted two refuse haulers with a fuel system from Optimus Technologies that allows the vehicles to start on diesel fuel and then switch to 100-percent biodiesel after warming up. This is especially important in winter weather, since B100 can gel and solidify at cold temperatures.
The bi-fuel system solves that problem by allowing cold engines to start on regular diesel fuel. Waste heat from the engine recirculates to warm the B100 to a usable temperature. At that point, the system automatically switches to a separate fuel tank containing B100. The refuse haulers continue to run on B100 until the operator turns off the vehicle. Before full shutdown, the system recirculates regular diesel fuel through the engine to ensure smooth starting the next day.
The B100 test is part of a pilot program in partnership with the Illinois Soybean Association checkoff program and the American Lung Association, aimed at improving air quality, reducing vehicle carbon emissions, and supporting more sustainable operations.
“Chicago Park District is a progressive fleet that is willing to push the envelope and make a positive environmental impact by using higher levels of biodiesel,” says Pete Probst, president of Indigenous Energy, the Chicago fuel consulting firm that oversees the program. “It wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of our partners working together toward the common goal of making this the greenest fleet possible.”
Early Pilot Project Results
Compared to standard, low-sulfur diesel fuel, the B100 project reduces greenhouse-gas emissions and particulates by 84 percent. This reduction is based on a lifecycle analysis by the biodiesel manufacturer, REG.
REG conducted the lifecycle analysis based on the CA-GREET model, which accounts for the process of recycling cooking oil from Chicago restaurants, as well as transporting the finished B100 fuel to Chicago from the REG plant.
“You would be hard-pressed to find a more sustainable option for our refuse trucks than B100 biodiesel. Our B100 is made from recycled cooking oil, which comes from soybeans grown by Midwestern farmers. Since the fuel is produced in-state, we are really closing the loop on local renewable energy and boosting the local economy,” Dimitroff says.
Positive And Sustainable Outcomes
In the B100 pilot project’s first year, participating refuse trucks logged 12,000 miles and 2,690 hours of operation. Telematics generated significant data on engine performance, as well as carbon emissions.
The program ran year-round through two winters, including the 2019 Polar Vortex, when temperatures dipped as low as 15 degrees below zero F. In both cold and warm weather, B100 performed as well as petroleum diesel and experienced no issues during that harsh winter.
The positive outcomes of the B100 pilot program have CPD looking at ways to use 100-percent biodiesel in other park vehicles in the future.
“Many municipalities have set goals to reduce their carbon footprints by 50 percent or more by 2050,” says Dimitroff. “This pilot program demonstrates how biodiesel can be a pathway to meeting carbon-reduction targets and sets the stage for other park equipment to run on either higher biodiesel blends or B100.”
Mike Levin is the Director of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs for the Illinois Soybean Association. Reach him at (309) 808-3606, or levinm@ilsoy.org.
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Tips For Biodiesel Use
Follow these best practices when implementing biodiesel into your park’s fuel system:
Start with a quality product from a reliable fuel supplier accredited by the National Biodiesel Accreditation Commission.
Keep water out of storage tanks. Regardless of the fuel used, water can corrode fuel systems and promote microbial growth.
As with any fuel, use proper cold-weather additives for optimal operation during winter months.
Service engines under the same schedule as when using regular diesel fuel.
Be aware that biodiesel has solvent properties and removes fuel line “varnish” and soot from engines. This may initially require more frequent filter changes.
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Chicago Park District Facts
Average year-round biodiesel blend: B35
Reduced yearly CO2 emissions due to biodiesel usage: 52 tons
Biodiesel CO2 emissions reduction: Equal to planting 1,717 trees
Total fleet: 550 vehicles, including E85, hybrid electric, and compressed natural-gas vehicles