Monthly Archives: December 2009

Mercedes-Benz Econic NGT Moves Food for ALDI SÜD

December 29, 2009 – 10:08 pm | Germany, Mönchengladbach
The MB Econic NGT configured for ALDI SUD operations

ALDI SÜD's MB Econic NGT configured for operations along the left bank of the Rhine

The ALDI SÜD group of companies in Mönchengladbach, Germany, has received its first Mercedes-Benz Econic with NGT (Natural Gas Technology), specially configured for food distribution operations and city logistics. The vehicle, which meets the stringent EEV emission standard (Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicle), is a semitrailer tractor with a high roof and a refrigerated semitrailer. ALDI SÜD decided in favour of the Econic NGT with its natural gas engine to honour its environment­al responsibilities in the areas of procurement and distribution.

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Austin Airport Reduces Environmental Impact with New CNG Fueling Station

December 29, 2009 – 3:51 pm | USA, Austin TX
Austin Bergstrom Airport

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

The City of Austin, Texas has awarded a 10-year contract to Clean Energy Fuels Corp. to design, build, and maintain a new public access compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station located adjacent to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The facility will operate 24/7 to support growing fleets of off-airport parking shuttle fleets, on-airport courtesy shuttle vehicles, taxicabs that serve the airport and private CNG fleet vehicles in the area. Construction of the station, located on airport-adjacent Spirit of Texas Drive, is scheduled to begin in February 2010.
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Mercedes-Benz B 180 NGT Most Environmentally Friendly in Class

December 23, 2009 – 1:02 pm | Germany, Stuttgart
Environmental champion: The new-generation B-Class: B 180 NGT

Environmental champion: The new-generation B-Class: B 180 NGT

The natural gas powered Mercedes-Benz B 180 NGT with bi-fuel drive was amongst a number of vehicles selected after analysis by independent environmental institute Öko-Trend as the most environmentally friendly automobiles in their class.
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Categories: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV), Vehicles & Fuels | Tags: , | Comments Off

Spain’s Acotral Gets First LNG-Powered MB Econic Tractor

December 22, 2009 – 4:04 pm | Spain
Acotral's LNG-powered MB Econic tractor

Acotral's LNG-powered MB Econic tractor

Mercedes-Benz has delivered to Compañía Logística Acotral, S.A., inter-providore for Spain’s largest supermarket operator, Mercadona, an Econic GNL — purportedly the first LNG-powered tractor in Spain. Initially, this truck will be used to transport goods to the company’s logistics base, before being incorporated into the distribution channel for urban supermarkets.  Acotral anticipates achieving a storehouse delivery range of between 800 km and 1,000 km per fill.
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Steady CNG Conversion Progress in Lima and Callao

December 22, 2009 – 12:38 pm | Source: La Primera | Peru, Lima

The number of natural gas refueling stations in Peruvian cities Lima and Callao has grown to 86, up 29 from 2008, states the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) in a La Primera report. The figure is set to rise even more as some companies complete installations in readiness for operation. The MEM report also indicated vehicle conversions to CNG had risen to 77,472 units by October this year, with 180 workshops are now authorised to carry out natural gas conversions.

(Este artículo también está disponible en Espanol)

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Categories: Country Reports, Infrastructure, Market Developments, Vehicles | Tags: , | Comments (1)

Kenworth Expands Product Line with Cummins Westport Natural Gas Engine

December 22, 2009 – 1:14 am | Canada, Vancouver BC
8.9 L, 250–320 hp 660–1,000 lb-ft torque US EPA & CARB 2010

8.9 L, 250–320 hp 660–1,000 lb-ft torque US EPA & CARB 2010

Kenworth T800 short hood and W900S models to get Cummins Wesport ISL G natural gas engine

Kenworth Truck Company is expanding its product line in North America with the introduction of the Cummins Westport ISL G natural gas engine for the Kenworth T800 short hood and W900S models. Now available for order, Kenworth’s natural gas models are focused on vocational, municipal, and pickup and delivery applications. Cummins Westport Inc. (CWI) is a provider of high-performance, alternative fuel engines for the global market.
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The Hague’s HTM Will Cut CO2 Emissions with Biomethane Fleet

December 21, 2009 – 11:28 am | The Netherlands, The Hague
HTM's new buses proudly running on 'green' gas

HTM's new buses proudly running on 'green' gas

HTM Personenvervoer NV(HTM), a public transport company serving The Hague and surrounding localities in The Netherlands, has secured gas supply through CNG Net and Essent, of some 9 million cubic metres of green gas to enable it to proceed with plans to convert its entire fleet of 135 buses to biomethane by 2011. The arrangement builds on first steps taken in 2009 when 45 diesel buses being replaced. Alderman Peter Smit (Environment) commented on behalf of the Hague Climate Fund, “This is a very important step in reducing CO2 emissions in The Hague. The entire bus fleet of HTM operates on green gas. Thus in the next two years we [can] reduce CO2 emissions by around 16,000 tonnes.”
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AT&T Continues to Build Natural Gas Fleet – 2010 Orders Placed with BAF Technologies

December 21, 2009 – 12:06 am | USA, Seal Beach CA
AT&T natural gas powered vehicles are readily identified

AT&T natural gas powered vehicles are readily identified

AT&T has awarded to natural gas vehicle conversion company BAF Technologies, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Clean Energy Fuels Corp., an order to convert 463 Ford E-250 vans to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), to be fulfilled during the second quarter of 2010. The new order is in addition to a 463-unit order from AT&T for vehicles to be delivered during the first quarter of 2010. Additionally, although no formal order has been made, AT&T has requested that BAF procure on AT&T’s behalf CNG cylinders for 463 additional conversions to be completed in the third quarter of 2010.
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Natural Gas Buses Make Hospital Routes Environmentally Healthy

December 19, 2009 – 12:57 pm | Source: Romagna NOI | Italy, Forlì
The 8 metre long CNG-powered Bredamenarinibus Vivacity C

The 8 metre long CNG-powered BredaMenarinibus Vivacity C

From January 2010, two hospital bus routes in Italy’s province of Forli-Cesena will be serviced by 11 new natural gas powered buses, reports Romagna NOI. Seven of these will be used on line 3 of the Forli urban service to Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital and four on line 3 of the Cesena urban service to Bufalini Hospital. 

The Mercedes-driven VIVACITY CU PLUS models are short in design, well suited to narrow and difficult road networks. The EEV (Environmentally Enhanced Vehicle) buses produce almost zero pollution.

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LNG is Hot Workshop Outcomes Released

December 18, 2009 – 9:06 am

Proceedings available for purchase

Sixty-six experts and specialists representing the interests of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied natural gas vehicles (L-NGVs) from 18 countries and four continents met in Brussels on 3-4 December 2009 to discuss critical issues and strategies to improve market opportunities for LNG as a vehicle fuel. Participants from the natural gas industry, government, equipment suppliers, consultants and related stakeholders engaged in two-half days of active dialogue that resulted in substantive findings, conclusions and strategic recommendations about worldwide L-NGV markets, technologies and politics.
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2009 Provides Plenty of Highlights for NGV Industry

December 18, 2009 – 9:04 am | Source: Brett Jarman - Executive Director, IANGV
Volvo V70 – Welcome back!

CNG Bi-fuel Volvo V70 – Welcome back!

The natural gas industry as a whole has been an arena of exciting developments in 2009, delivering in a raft of areas despite the gloomy economic uncertainty that heralded the year’s start.

How that gloom has impacted upon the NGV industry isn’t clear at this point and won’t be until year-end vehicle numbers are collected. Mixed reports have come to us from industry members with some saying they have thrived, struggling to keep up with demand, while others have struggled just to remain viable.
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Categories: Editorial & Comment, Market Developments, Vehicles, Vehicles & Fuels | Tags: , , , | Comments (1)

GasHighWay Project’s First International ‘Renewable Mobility’ Seminar

December 17, 2009 – 12:13 pm
Image: Martti Hänninen, Finland

Image: Martti Hänninen, Finland

GasHighWay Seminar: A Trans-European Road to Renewable Mobility – 28th January 2010, Malmö, Sweden.

NGVA Europe has announced details for the first international seminar of the GasHighWay project (www.gashighway.net). It will focus on NG/biomethane as a vehicle fuel and will present real best practice cases from across Europe.

The preliminary seminar program is available here.
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IGL Tells its Good-CNG-News Story in Copenhagen

December 17, 2009 – 1:34 am | Source: The Times of India | India, New Delhi

Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), Delhi’s sole CNG supplier, has delivered a persuasive argument for using natural gas as a clean transport fuel and a tool for mitigating climate change at an International Gas Union (IGU) conference in Copenhagen. The rapid conversion of public transport fleet vehicles to CNG  between 2000 and 2002, which doubled in size during the same period, drastically reduced air pollution levels in the city. IGL managing director Rajesh Vedvyas cited levels of carbon monoxide declined 47% during this period, while suspended particulate matter in the air went down 6%,  according to a Times of India article.
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Fossil-Fuel-Free Sailing Cargo Ship Augmented by Biomethane Engine

December 16, 2009 – 1:37 pm | Source: Cleantech Group | Northern Ireland
An early B9 design of a wind-biomethane powered cargo ship

An early B9 design of a wind-biomethane powered cargo ship

Northern Ireland’s B9 Shipping, a developer of 100% renewable powered cargo ships, is planning to set sail with a new ship in 2012, according to a Cleantech report. About 60 per cent of the thrust will come from conventional soft sails and, in calm conditions or to manoeuvre in port, a carbon neutral bio-methane engine will be used, the fuel for which would come from the anaerobic digestion of food waste. “We’re aiming to have our first ship in the water in 2012 to be ready for the first of the biomass power stations coming online in England,” said David Surplus, managing director of B9 Shipping and chairman of B9 Energy Group.
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Categories: Biomethane, Business, Fleets, Infrastructure, Maritime, Market Developments, People, Technology | Tags: , | Comments (1)

Toledo Buys 10 New NG Buses

December 16, 2009 – 11:35 am | Source: NGVA Europe
Irisbus Cityclass CNG 12m now operating in Toledo

Irisbus Cityclass CNG 12m now operating in Toledo

CNG buses now form 25% of UNAUTO’s bus fleet

The municipal transport company of the city of Toledo, UNAUTO, has put 10 new natural gas/biomethane powered urban buses into service, says NGVA Europe. All vehicles are ex factory CNG versions of IVECO’s Irisbus Cityclass line. The purchase of low-pollutant buses is in part driven by the historic city of Toledo’s commitment to the environment, with CNG buses now forming 25% of its fleet. The new NG vehicles are operating in the hilly and historic city center of Toledo (see picture) and help reducing noise and pollution significantly.
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