Hong Kong has turned its attention to liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a vehicle fuel in an endeavour to curb choking roadside pollution, reports South China Morning Post (SCMP). Motor vehicles, especially diesel vehicles, are considered to be the main sources of these pollutants at street level in Hong Kong. A proposed bus trial and possible broad adoption of LNG have been backed by state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC).
Hong Kong LNG Company and CNOOC will jointly implement the bus project. The bus will be fueled during the trial at a filling station is Shenzhen, Guangdong, just across the border from Hong Kong, which has 13 LNG stations.The bus will apparently be of Swedish manufacture.
Hong Kong currently has access to a large LNG supply network but does not have any LNG fueling stations. According to the SCMP article, the Special Administrative Region does not have legislation in place to allow LNG stations to be built.
The government of Hong Kong has indicated interest in the project, possibly seeing LNG transportation fuel as an instrument to help it achieve strict emissions standards. However, broad scale adoption will be slowed by the requirement for new legislation and the need for residents of Hong Kong to be introduced to LNG as a safe vehicle fuel. Space constraints will also hinder speedy implementation.
The transport sector, including road and marine transport, was the second largest air pollution source in Hong Kong in 2010. It accounted for about 57% of the local respirable suspended particulates, 62% of nitrogen oxides and 48% of sulphur dioxide. The sector is also responsible for about 17% of local greenhouse gas emissions.
Newly registered vehicles have been required to meet Euro V emission standards since June 2012, except newly registered light goods vans will had to meet the same standard starting
end-December 2012.
