LNG4Trucks&Ships, Amsterdam – September 19-21
NGVA Europe, Europe’s natural and bio gas vehicle association, will host their first International LNG Workshop for trucks & ships’ in the city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands next week. The event will put together a comprehensive LNG-for-transport workshop, table tops exhibition, a unique technical tour to an LNG filling station in Zwolle City, vehicle display and technical demonstration and a natural gas boat tour along the UNESCO’s Rings of Canals Amsterdam World Heritage.
Manuel Lage, General Manager of NGVA Europe, explains LNG (liquefied natural gas) is set to become the “clean and quieter” fuel for the transport sector by 2013. He says hundreds of LNG and dual-fuel on-road vehicles and ships will be incorporated into the Dutch fleet soon. Around 60 new LNG filling stations and 10,000 dual-fuel and LNG HDVs are targeted to be operated by 2017-2022.
The workshop programme includes discussion sessions on: LNG for Heavy-Duty Vehicles; LNG for marine applications; Global LNG demand and supply and LNG and LCNG filling systems.
LNGTR&D, the Dutch LNG-for-transport platform, will give a presentation about the types of potential LNG projects that would be required and/or funded for the 2013 and future financing programmes. Ballast Nedam, Rolande LNG, and another LNG filling station builder will discuss their plans regarding construction of LNG stations in the Netherlands and Europe.
Already, much is happening in Europe. While various OEM LNG and dual-fuel on-road vehicle and tanker manufacturers, diesel-to-dual-fuel LNG system converters and the related engines are available, the European Commission is also supporting the development of this sector through its ‘LNG Blue Corridor” project and funding. NGVA Europe has projected that one in three heavy vehicles could run on LNG by 2035.
Meanwhile, Dutch LNG stakeholders see the potential for 2-3 million tonnes of LNG to be used in transport sector by 2030, in their country. A “Green Deal” agreement was formalised in June this year that outlined a plan to operate at least 500 Heavy-Duty trucks, 50 barges, and 50 ships on LNG. The signers include Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation/Vice Prime Minister Maxime Verhagen, State Secretary Atsma and the so-called “National LNG Platform”, consists of three local institutions Deltalinqs, Energy Valley Foundation and Port Authority LNG TR & D.
Around the Rotterdam port and in the northern provinces, there are various initiatives to run trucks, inland waterways, coastal shipping, ferries, fishing boats and tugs on LNG. Monofuel LNG tanker and dual-fuel diesel/LNG ships are also being developed.
Registration and event information can be found at lng4trucksandships.com/.
