Bolivia micro model Coaster in Santa Cruz
Bolivia’s Implementing Entity Conversion to Natural Gas Vehicles (EEC-GNV) is kicking off a pilot project that will see 100 diesel-powered Toyota Coaster 14B transit buses convert to Compressed Natural gas (CNG). The project will commence in Santa Cruz and then spread across the country and will run for the last quarter of the current financial year.
The Executive Director of the EEC-GNV, Fernando Salinas, made the announcement after the approval of the “Regulations for licensing and operation of workshops for conversion of diesel vehicles to CNG”, by the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH), which sets out the technical, legal and administrative conditions for conversion to CNG.
“Committed to our country, to the care of the environment and above all to contribute to the reduction of the subsidy on diesel, we will begin this program in coordination with the organizations of public transport in Santa Cruz, the transformation to CNG to generate savings for carriers and the state,” Salinas said.
In Bolivia, the transformation of diesel vehicles to CNG is done using a technology called “Ottolización” which enables vehicles to operate entirely on natural gas.
After evaluation of this first stage, the EEC-GNV is planning to implement the program in all departments with diesel public transport vehicles.
The driver will cover 50% of the cost with the contribution of Bs 1 per cubic meter consumed CNG.
(Source: Ministerio Hidrocarburos y Energía)
