Ottawa, Ontario – The federal government has announced $6.1 million in funding to help the freight transportation sector limit the emissions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other air contaminants in truck, rail, air and marine modes under the ecoFREIGHT program.

Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, announced that eight projects will receive $2.4 million under Transport Canada’s Freight Technology Demonstration Fund, while a further 15 projects will receive $3.7 million under the Freight Technology Incentives Program.

“These ecoFREIGHT initiatives help transport companies acquire available technology,” Cannon said. “The result is lower emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. It demonstrates our government’s strong commitment to the environment and our support for the sector in today’s highly competitive market.”

The Freight Technology Demonstration Fund helps test and measure new and underused freight transportation technologies that can reduce emissions when operated in Canadian conditions, while the Incentives Program provides incentives for companies to purchase and install proven but underused technologies to reduce emissions. The projects funded under the programs are eligible for a contribution of 50 per cent of eligible costs, up to a maximum of $500,000, and must be implemented within a two-year period.

The projects include $95,000 to the Canadian Trucking Alliance for aerodynamic trailer skirts, base flaps, auxiliary power units and single wide-base tires; up to $500,000 to Bison Transport for a large-scale, fleet-wide demonstration of aerodynamic trailer fairings; up to $104,835 to Paradise Island Foods for truck on-board computers and hybrid refrigeration technology; and up to $296,910 to Teleflex Canada Ltd. for the demonstration of a non-petroleum system that can supply heating, ventilation and air conditioning to trucks when they are parked so they do not have to idle.