Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
23 November, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
ANGVA has now issued a brochure with details of the upcoming ANGVA CNG Cylinder Safety Workshop to be held in Dhaka Bangladesh, November 23rd. Copies of the brochure can be found here. ANGVA is also holding a workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia the following week. Details of that event can be found here.
General Physics Corporation has been awarded a contract by the City of Los Angeles’s Department of General Services Fuel Services and the Environmental Compliance Division Alternative Fuels Group for the design and construction of a liquefied natural gas and liquefied-to-compressed natural gas fueling station. The contract also includes upgrades to an existing vehicle maintenance facility to enable indoor maintenance and repair of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles. General Physics was awarded the fixed-priced contract through a competitive bidding process.
USA, California
Now Providing Natural Gas Fueling at 20 US Airports
Clean Energy Fuels Corp. will own, operate and supply fuel for new compressed natural gas (CNG) public access stations to support airport operations in Atlanta and Oklahoma City. In the Atlanta area, the City of College Park, Georgia, contracted with Clean Energy to design, construct and manage a public access CNG fueling station on City-owned property located less than a mile from the entrance to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, among the busiest in the world. The facility is designed to serve a range of light, medium and heavy duty vehicles, including regional public transit buses, municipal vehicles, refuse hauling trucks, and airport parking, hotel, and employee CNG shuttle buses. The station will open in two weeks. In Oklahoma City, Will Rogers World Airport officials contracted with Clean Energy to build and manage a large-scale public access CNG fuel station. Located on airport property, the new facility will serve – in addition to CNG-powered airport transit and shuttle vehicles – a growing number of CNG fleets in the area. The station will begin construction in two weeks.
Austria
Mechanical difficulties unrelated to the engine have spoiled the chances of success for the OMV CNG Rally team at the Admont Rally for the third year in a row. Driver Beppo Harrach and co-driver Andreas Schindlbacher were coming in third place in their biomethane fueled vehicle until the final three stages when technical difficulties, including damage to tyres, shock absorbers and brake lines saw the team lose ground to sixth place overall. Harrach says the Admont Rally is proving to be a curse for the team, with complications also arising when they competed in the 2006 and 2007 events.
Torino, Italy
Industry members have been kept busy during a week of events at the 2nd NGV World Fair, held in Torino, Italy this week. Three days of exhibitions, two days of conference proceedings, a technical tour as well as meetings of NGVA Europe and the IANGV left little time for sightseeing at the event. Organisers report that more than 1,000 visitors attended the exhibition on the first day which also included a free conference program featuring speakers on policy, product and programs. Fiat took center stage for the event, held at the Ligotto Fiere, next door to Fiat’s postwar factory, which now serves as a shopping centre and hotel complex. The event proved an opportunity to highlight Fiat’s dominance in the natural gas vehicle market, with 75% of market share in Italy and 60% of market share in Europe.
USA, Michigan
A waste-to-energy plant planned for Flint, Michigan has been awarded a $4 million grant from the state, paving the way for Swedish company, Swedish Biogas International, to partner with the city. Swedish Biogas International has set up a US based subsidiary which will build the facility next to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. An additional $3 million in Swedish government and private investment is also to be applied for the project. A ground breaking ceremony for the project was attended by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf along with Michigan’s Governor, a Michigan senator, the Major of Flint, the Swedish Ambassador to the USA, and the US Ambassador to Sweden. Biomethane from the plant will be used as heating fuel and to fuel vehicles.
USA, Indiana
You know the industry is making progress when major vehicle component suppliers stake their claim on the natural gas vehicle (NGV) market. US automatic transmission manufacturer, Allison Transmission Inc. has done just that, issuing a press release affirming its position as a supplier of transmissions especially developed for natural gas buses. Affirming the value of natural gas as a clean fuel, the release also outlines the benefits of tailoring a transmission to suit. “An Allison automatic transmission is an enabler for use of CNG engines in city bus applications,” says Lawrence A. Love, Executive Director of Allison International Marketing. “Unlike a diesel engine, CNG engines have different operating characteristics and are not as responsive during launch. Allison torque converter technology aids the CNG engine during vehicle start-up by multiplying engine torque and smoothly delivering power to the drive wheels. As a result, with an Allison, the bus gets good performance and makes the most efficient use of fuel, which is vital in an era of rising fuel costs.”
Canada, Vancouver
Green technology now has the potential to be a game-changing industry for Canada, according to John Ruffolo, National Leader, Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Group, Deloitte. “The Deloitte Technology Green 15 Award recognizes those Canadian companies that offer solutions to global environmental challenges by creating intellectual property and technology that reduce society’s environmental impact,†he said. Two receivers of the award this year are QuestAir Technologies Inc. and Westport Innovations Inc.
Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia – 27th November 2008 (Tractors Engineering Complex, Puchong, Kuala Lumpur)
Bangladesh – 23rd November (Details TBC)
The Asia-Pacific Natural Gas Vehicles Association (ANGVA) is commencing a series of one day workshop on compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinder safety. The workshops are presented by Bernand James, from TransEnerTech, Canada, who was recently awarded an IANGV Champion award for his services to the industry. Modules to be presented include an overview of cylinder safety, ‘cylinders 101′, cylinder handling and installation and cylinder inspection. The workshops are available for ANGVA members and non-members. Interested parties can register for the Malaysian event on this registration form. The Bangladesh registration form is due to be released soon.
Norway
Norwegian Ferry operator Tide SJO AS has contracted shipbuilder Aker Yards to construct three liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuelled ferries with delivery commencing in early 2009. Erdgas.ch reports that the ferries will have a capacity of 600 passengers each for a total cost of 45 million Euros. The ferries are being built in Brittany, France. Aker Yards has previously built five LNG-diesel dual-fuel ferries which are currently operational on the west coast of Norway.
Czech Republic, Prague
0% excise and road tax rates for CNG
Monthly gas pricing reviews to ensure price advantage
1,153 natural gas vehicles but growing
17 CNG fueling stations operational – 8 more expected by year end
Prague conference scheduled for January 2009
With road transport currently growing in the Czech Republic, by 12 per cent every year, promoting natural gas vehicle use is one of the major measures intended to reduce pollutant emissions from transport. In May 2005 the Czech Government approved the Programme of Support for Alternative Fuels in Transport – Natural Gas. The programme set forth some solutions that have since helped to create a stable and attractive environment for the development of natural gas use in transport.
USA, Portland
The CNG fuelled Honda Civic GX, could soon have company on the OEM compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle list in the US with Toyota ‘confirming interest’ in CNG vehicles. Continuing down the popular Toyota hybrid path Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., will test the waters with a compressed natural gas (CNG) Camry Hybrid concept vehicle to go on show at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. “With the combination of plentiful long-term supplies in North America, improved and more efficient recovery methods, favorable pricing and clean-burn/low emissions characteristics, CNG has become a prime energy-source for the future,†said Irv Miller, group vice president, TMS Corporate Communications. “With this concept, we are confirming our interest in pursuing CNG within our broad and comprehensive R&D scope.â€
Germany, Hanover
Italian OEM, Fiat is to showcase 2 new models powered by natural gas, the Ducato and Fiorino Combi Natural Power, at the Hanover International Motor Show, in Germany, from September 25 to October 2. The Ducato Natural Power van has a bi-fuel natural gas/petrol system, fueling a three liter engine with an output of 136 hp (100 kW) on natural gas. Five under floor mounted CNG cylinders with a total capacity of 220 litres delivers a driving range of 400 kms. The Fiorino Combi Natural Power, also a bi-fuel vehicle, sports a 1.4 litre engine with a 65 hp output. Carbon dioxide emissions are 136 g/km on natural gas compared to 164 g/km on gasoline. The Fiorino has two under floor mounted cylinders with a total capacity of 86 litres and delivering a driving range of 300 kms.
USA, Washington DC
He may only have six weeks to go till the US Presidential election but Democrat candidate and Illinois Senator, Barack Obama, still found time las week to introduce legislation (S.3506) that would increase the tax credit for individuals that purchase natural gas vehicles and extend the credit through to the end of 2017. The Senator proposes increasing the incremental price eligible for a credit from 50/80 percent to 100 percent for all weight classes of vehicle, and a doubling of the tax credit for fleets that purchase more than 100 NGVs in a year. This last provision is identical to one proposed by Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) in the Congressman’s NAT GAS Act (HR 6570). In addition, the Senator proposed increasing the amount the EPA can pay for alt fuel school bus from 25 and 50 percent to 50 and 75 percent (depending on the vehicle’s emissions), and reauthorizing the Clean School Bus Program at $110 million per year from 2010 through 2015. The program is currently authorized to be funded at “such sums as are necessary†until 2010.
Peter Boisen, Chairman of NGVA Europe, provides a review of present political developments within the European Union with respect to natural gas and hydrogen vehicles, highlighting the role that natural gas has in hydrogen refuelling and examining the impact of recent votes by the ITRE (ITRE Committee on Industry, Research and Energy).
The European Parliament on September 3 voted in support of the creation of a refuelling network for hydrogen used as a fuel (or energy carrier) in road vehicles. Published reports, however, do not mention in which manner this would be achieved. Alternatives which have been studied over recent years include the following options:
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