2007 November | NGV Global

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Monthly Archives: November 2007

ANGVA 2007 Exceeds Expectations

November 28, 2007 – 7:00 pm

angva2007 opening
Thailand, Bangkok

Anyone with doubts about the viability of the natural gas vehicle industry in Asia would have laid them to rest this week, following the successful staging of ANGVA 2007, the 2nd Biennial Conference and Exhibition of the Asia-Pacific Natural Gas Vehicle Association (ANGVA) in Bangkok, Thailand. More than 9,000 visitors attended the 7,500 m2 exhibition, featuring over 138 companies from 28 countries over the course of the three day event. Moe than 400 delegates also attended the three day conference held in conjunction with the exhibition.

The success of the event was evident from Day One, with some exhibitors
saying that the first day alone had brought in more business than any
previous NGV or related conference. Trends continued with exhibition
attendance rising on subsequent days. Registration data showed a strong
level of interest from overseas, with more than 40% of exhibition
visitors arriving from outside of Thailand for the event.

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Strong OEM Presence at ANGVA 2007

November 28, 2007 – 7:00 pm

Thailand, Bangkok

All classes of vehicles represented in conference
Chevrolet expecting 60% NGV Optra sales in Thailand
CNG Chevrolet Optra - execte to acccount for 60% of the model's sales in Thailand Heavy duty engines gaining markets in Asia

The increasing availability of OEM manufactured and endorsed natural gas vehicles was evident at ANGVA 2007, with one Plenary Session of the conference including 5 OEM representatives covering all classes of vehicles. In a case of perfect timing, General Motors Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, John Thomson told delegates that the company was enjoying considerable success with their CNG fuelled Chevrolet Optra. “Yesterday saw the VIP opening day of the Bangkok Motor Expo. Typically we would expect to sell around 100 units, usually petrol and diesel but yesterday we sold 180 units, 80 of which were CNG fuelled Optras.” Thomson went on to say that the company expects their CNG fuelled Optra to make up around 60% of Optra sales in Thailand.

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NGVs Go the Distance to ANGVA 2007

November 25, 2007 – 7:00 pm

Thailand, Bangkok

Distance has proved no object for members of ANGVA’s Green Highway Project and the Asian Eco-Fuel Tour, travelling from Germany, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia to demonstrate the endurance and versatility of natural gas vehicles. Customs delays in Vietnam forced the late arrival of the EcoFuel team in Bangkok but the Green Highways teams arrived on schedule and in time for a pre-planned welcome ceremony at PTT’s head office in Thailand. A more detailed report on the Green Highway will feature in an upcoming issue of NGV Global.

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$100 Per Barrel Oil

November 22, 2007 – 8:25 am

Most alternative fuel programs just ‘diversions’ from real solutions
Middle East better prepared for end of oil age than oil importers
100% greenhouse gas reductions available at lower price

With crude oil almost reaching the $US100 per barrel mark, it’s time for Governments around the world to stop paying lip service and get serious about alternative fuel programs. That was the message today from John Lyon, President of the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs), speaking from Toronto, Canada. “We’ve seen lots of small scale programs and billions of dollars being invested in fuels that ‘hold promise’ but we can’t wait any longer,” said Lyon. “With natural gas more widely available than oil, lower in cost and now easily available as a renewable fuel, I challenge Governments to explain why they aren’t adopting programs to increase the uptake of natural gas vehicles now.”

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IANGV Technical Committee Meeting Reminder

November 22, 2007 – 8:09 am

IANGV and ANGVA members are reminded that there is an IANGV Technical Committee meeting on Monday November 26th to coincide with ANGVA 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand. Meeting commences 9 am at PTT Head Office. See here for agenda and location details.

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German Funding & Technology to Sweeten Biomethane Supply in India

November 22, 2007 – 8:07 am

Feedstock from sugar cane byproducts

India, Mumbai

Three cooperative sugar factories from Maharashtra state are reportedly planning to produce biomethane from sugarcane biomass, using German finance and technological know-how. Hindu Business Line reports the new initiative could provide the rural population with access to alternative fuel, an option hitherto only available to city dwellers.

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Earth Biofuels LNG Subsidiary Announces Contract Renewal

November 22, 2007 – 7:50 am

USA, Texas

Earth Biofuels, Inc. has announced that its subsidiary, Applied LNG Technologies (ALT) has renewed a three year liquefied natural gas supply agreement with the City of Redlands (California). The City of Redlands utilizes liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) as transportation fuel for its municipal fleet vehicles, and has built an LNG and compressed natural gas (“CNG”) refueling station for public use within its city limits.

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ASCO Introduces High Pressure ASCO Solenoid Valve for CNG Fuel Dispensing

November 22, 2007 – 7:30 am

ASCO has introduced a compact high pressure solenoid valve for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) dispensing applications. Available in 3/8” (8 mm) and 1/2” (12 mm) sizes, the valve can handle pressures up to 5000 psi (350 bar). They can be used to open and close the supply from storage tanks on single and multi bank dispensers.

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Making Hay from Cow Manure

November 22, 2007 – 7:04 am

USA, Texas

Texas has become home to what is reportedly the largest manure-to-gas (biogas) production facility in the USA. Associated Press reports that the facility is located at Huckabay Ridge, the state’s top producing dairy county and with an average output of 15 gallons of manure per cow per day. Mixed with restaurant grease, the manure is processed in an anaerobic digester to produce pipeline quality biogas. Though output from the plant is currently used for electricity generation, biomethane is becoming an increasingly popular alternative fuel, providing a renewable high efficiency fuel for transport.

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First CNG Station on Singapore Mainland to Open

November 21, 2007 – 7:00 pm

Singapore

Singapore Petroleum Company and SembCorp Gas have united to set up the first mainland Singapore compressed natural gas (CNG) retail station, which opens to the public at Jalan Buroh early 2008. Today Online reports that according to SembCorp Gas Director, Francis J Gomez, there are plans to build "three or four" more CNG stations in expectation of increased demand and going forward, there would be services to convert petrol-fuelled cars to CNG. Currently, the only other CNG refuelling station now is on Jurong Island.

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Clean Air Power Scores Sale After Successful Genesis Trial

November 20, 2007 – 7:00 pm

UK

Dual-fuel natural gas/diesel system provider Clean Air Power Limited says that following the successful 6 month trial of 2 Genesis systems by Robert Wiseman Dairies (RWD), Scotland’s largest fresh milk provider, Robert Wiseman Dairies have placed an order for a further 20 systems. Robert Wiseman Dairies began trialing Clean Air Power’s Genesis systems on 2 DAF CF85 trucks six months ago at the Company’s East Kilbride dairy. The trial gave excellent results providing Robert Wiseman Dairies with a 25% fuel cost saving as well as a carbon saving of 18 tonnes per annum.

Read More »

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Arsonist Sparks Voluntary Recall of Honda Civic GX for Upgrade

November 18, 2007 – 7:00 pm

USA

As the result of a single incident involving the rupture and ejection of a CNG fuel tank, American Honda is voluntarily recalling all of Civic GX CNG four door sedans, manufactured from 1998 to 2007 and marketed by American Honda. Honda’s investigation of the incident determined that an arsonist broke the rear window of the Civic and used an accelerant in the rear seat area that resulted in an intense fire that burned through the seat and into the area of the CNG tank — but away from the Pressure Relief Device (PRD).

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Revision of NGV 2 Standards Published

November 18, 2007 – 7:00 pm

The 2007 version of NGV 2, American National Standard for Compressed Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) Fuel Containers, was published recently by CSA America. Major changes since the 2000 edition include:

-   a new definition of “service pressure”
-   allowance for maximum container service life up to 25 years
-   specifying that containers should tolerate up to 2.0% hydrogen in natural gas
-   changing the Ambient Cycling test minimum failure requirement to 750 times the container service life in years rather than 750 times the design life with a minimum of 11,250 cycles for all containers
-   requiring that the container fail by leakage in the Leak-Before-Break pressure cycling test or exceed 2250 times the design life in cycles rather than 45,000 cycles

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Sinoenergy Corporation Opens First CNG Station in Xuancheng City

November 18, 2007 – 7:00 pm

China, Beijing

Sinoenergy Corporation has opened their first CNG filling station in Xuancheng City in Anhui Province. The station’s designed daily gas supply capacity is 10,000 cubic meters, which can supply 300 taxis or 150 buses per day. This station has four filling outlets and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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Two Thousand Natural Gas Buses for Lima?

November 14, 2007 – 10:07 am

Peru, Lima

As many as 2,000 buses could be converted to compressed natural gas (CNG) in Lima in the coming months, providing cleaner transport for as many as half a million commuters who use the buses daily. Climalatino reports that the conversions will go ahead subject to assurances for the forty fleet operators involved that sufficient dispensers will be available to supply fuel for the vehicles.

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