Norway
Norway’s fledgling 77 strong compressed natural gas (CNG) bus fleet will increase to more than 100 with the pending delivery of 35 CNG buses from Volvo Bus in the coming months. The order is part of a 173 bus order for Veolia Transport, the largest Volvo Bus order in Norway to date.
Mumbai, India
The President and CEO of Canadian group ATFCAN, Rodney Semotiuk, has announced a partnership between ATFCAN with Mumbai Gold Cabs Pvt. Ltd. As part of ATFCAN’s CNG India project, Mumbai Gold Cabs will supply 200 new Maruti Esteem and 50 new Tata Indigo Marina vehicles for conversion to compressed natural gas (CNG) operation, using conversion kits from ECO Fuel Systems, also of Canada. The ARAI-certified kits perform at Bharat III emissions levels standards, and will be installed by ACE Gas Conversions Pvt. Ltd. of Mumbai, in collaboration with ECO Fuel Systems.
China, Qingdao
Sinoenergy Corporation, a major manufacturer of compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station equipment and car/bus conversion kits in China, as well as an emerging developer and operator of natural gas filling stations in China, has signed a natural gas sale and purchase agreement between the Company's 55% subsidiary, Hubei Gather Energy Gas Co., Ltd. and with China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, to replace the former letter of intent signed on May 21, 2007.
India, New Delhi
GAIL (India) Limited and China Gas Holdings Limited (China Gas) have signed a 50/50 Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) for pursuing gas sector business opportunities, primarily related to natural gas sector projects in the areas of CNG/City Gas, Coal Bed Methane (CBM), Pipelines and LNG in China, India and other countries.
Spain, Madrid
30 for Seville & 2 for Burgos too
Madrid’s municipal company for urban transport, EMT de Madrid has chosen Irisbus Iveco in their latest tender as the only supplier for its CNG fleet of urban buses with the inclusion of 60 new CityClass CNG units. With this order, EMT will have 350 CNG buses in its fleet by the end of 2007.
USA, Texas
15 Trash Trucks on Order and 60 in 2008 As City Seeks Bids on CNG Fueling Station
The American LaFrance-Condor truck dealer in San Antonio has a contract for 60 new trash trucks with the city and an option for 60 more, and expects that while just 15 will be compressed natural gas fueled in this first 2007 round, all of the second-round trucks in 2008 will be CNG. The City of San Antonio, which owns the local CPS Energy gas utility, is seeking bids for a fueling station for the vehicles at its existing Northeast Service Center. More details – Fleets and Fuels.
France, Strasbourg
Natural gas vehicle industry members are off to Rome, Italy in 2010 for the IANGV’s 12th Annual Conference and Exhibition following a successful bid to host the event by Italian industry association, NGV System Italia. The bid was considered at the IANGV Council Meeting, held in France following the ENGVA Annual Conference and Exhibition this week. NGV System Italia has already formed an impressive organizing committee of local industry members and will contract organization of the event to the GVR Group, who are also working with IBP on NGV 2008 in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil next year. IANGV now has the next three biennial conferences hosted with Rio de Janeiro, Rome and Chuncheon (Sth Korea) hosting the event in 2008, 2010 and 2012 respectively. Dates for the Rome event are yet to be set.
USA, Washington DC
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, the Environment, and Related Agencies approved its legislation for the FY 2008 budget earlier this week. The Senate bill would provide $50 million for the diesel emission reduction program. This is $15 million more than the Administration had requested for FY 2008 and identical to what the House had proposed earlier this month.
France, Strasbourg
OEMs across the range of light and heavy duty vehicles dominated proceedings on Day 2 of the ENGVA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Strasbourg today. With more than 65 models from 22 manufacturers, Europeans are arguably the ‘most spoilt’ for OEM natural gas vehicles (NGVs). While NGVs are still a relatively minor segment for most OEMs, one message that remained consistent throughout was that manufacturers take the segment seriously with outstanding innovations arising from this commitment.
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France, Strasbourg
The IANGV Technical Committee has issued a warning to motorists and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle owners to have their vehicles checked thoroughly in the event of any accident. The Tech Committee sent a clear message; even if only a minor accident, a CNG vehicle should be put through a full system check by a qualified installer or inspector to ensure that the cylinder and/or high pressure fuel system haven’t been damaged. Though natural gas is a considerably safer fuel than gasoline or diesel, CNG vehicles have high pressures systems that can be compromised in the event of an accident.
USA, Washington DC
Unclaimed credits available for some groups
NGVAmerica’s Jeff Clarke has participated in a Department of Energy Webcast for Clean Cities coordinators. The Webcast included presentation by the IRS and NGVAmerica on the excise tax changes and fuel credits adopted in the 2005 transportation bill, i.e. SAFETEA-LU. Part of the purpose of the meeting was to explain the technical aspects of the new regulations adopted by the IRS. Issues such as who may claim the credit and how to claim the credit were covered. The intention of the Webcast was to educate Clean Cities’ coordinators so they can get the word out to their stakeholders.
France, Strasbourg
NGV Stakeholders Converge on Strasbourg
European OEMs Put Brakes on CO2 Reduction Targets
Natural gas vehicles (NGVs) and NGV industry stakeholders have converged on the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France taking a clear message to parliamentarians and officials in high EC offices – People talk about climate change and reducing CO2, Natural gas vehicles do it and do it now. In a move reportedly preceded only by the Dalai Lama, ENGVA managed to use their ‘considerable influence’ to secure parliamentary debating facilities for a Political Round Table, with 9 EU and industry representatives taking part in a vibrant debate that addressed the question; How can NGVs and renewable biomethane be part of a balanced transition to a cleaner, more secure energy future in Europe?
Austria
Environment wins too – 100% biomethane knocks out GHG emissions
NGV VW Golf makes ninth place
The pioneering OMV CNG Rally Team has pulled their best result ever, coming third and reaching their top three target in the Castrol Judenburg-Pölstal Rally in Austria last week. The result comes in spite of problems with the engine performance early on in the event but further cements the future of compressed natural gas (CNG) in international rally sport. Further affirming the position of CNG in rally sport was Hannes Danzinger, who drove his CNG fuelled VW Golf into 9th place at the event.
CSA America has issued an addendum to standards covering pressure relief devices in the US. Some of the more important changes to the standard are:
• New definitions for "Manufacturer's Specified Activation Temperature" and "Manufacturer's Specified Service Pressure."
• The minimum design life of PRDs has been increased from 15,000 to 20,000 cycles.
• Aluminum has been added as an acceptable material for PRD housings.
• A table has been added to simplify the determination of which tests are necessary for new designs and design changes.
• The amount of leakage permitted in the leakage test has been lowered from 2.0 scc/hr to 0.2 scc/hr.
Spain, Valencia
Spanish gas company, GAS NATURAL and the Valencia Taxi Driver's Cooperative (TAXCO) have signed an agreement to install a compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling point in the service station that the cooperative runs in the Valencian capital. This CNG filling station will be the first public station opened in Spain.
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