Madrid is continuing its drive for clean air by preparing to regulate the purchase of new taxis and buses that run on diesel, according to an NGVA Europe report. The action makes the city the first in Europe to act against diesel for environmental reasons and states that while the municipality will not force the purchase of any special equipment, it will be acting against both CO2 and NO2 emissions.
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Category: Policy
Diesel Buses to be Regulated out of Madrid
March 2, 2010 – 1:37 am
Source: NGVA Europe Spain, Madrid
CNG or LPG Kits Now Obligatory for All New Rickshaws
March 1, 2010 – 2:59 pm
Source: Times of India India, Pune
TVS King cng-powered auto rickshaws on sale in India
In a move aimed at promoting the use of cleaner vehicle fuels, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) of Pune has made it obligatory for all new rickshaws in the city to have CNG or LPG kits from March 1 onwards, reports the Times of India. Regional transport officer Chandrakant Kharatmal said, “The directive making installation of CNG/LPG kits mandatory in new rickshaws was finalised by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in January.”
Regional transport officer Chandrakant Kharatmal said, “The directive making installation of CNG/LPG kits mandatory in new rickshaws was finalised by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) in January. The decision will come into force from March 1.”
Kharatmal said, “The move is a step towards promoting the use of cleaner fuels, thus restricting the pollution caused by petrol and diesel vehicles. Using CNG is an environment-friendly option and it is also in the interest of rickshaw drivers as it saves running costs.” Nearly 4,000 new rickshaws are registered in the city annually and manufacturing companies have been told to install the kits, he added.
GasHighWay Project Initiates National Reports on Biogas Production
February 24, 2010 – 11:39 am
Europe
Includes statements on the impact of biomethane use for transport
Within the GasHighWay project implementation each country (excluding Sweden) has developed its national report on the current status of biogas production as well as identification of legal and other important conditions for biogas upgrading potential. National reports also inform on market trends and biogas/biomethane production forecast. These reports provide an overview of the biogas situation in each participating country, and include statements about implications for transport. Country reports are available for Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy and Poland, from here.
Positive Vote in Brussels Supporting NGVs
February 23, 2010 – 11:45 am
Source: NGVA Europe Belgium, Brussels
The Environment Committee (ENVI) of the European Parliament has voted on various suggested amendments in a report on the Future of Transport, to which NGVA Europe was contributing as a stakeholder. During the meeting the majority of the ENVI Committee members also voted in favour of Amendment ‘32’, which…
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Canadian Government and Stakeholders Partner to Develop NGV Roadmap
February 18, 2010 – 4:40 pm
Canada
Heavy transportation sector roadmap development will focus on natural gas for fuel
Canada has long been a leader in the development of advanced technologies for natural gas vehicles and refuelling infrastructure. Now, the Canadian story is about to open another chapter with news this week that government and industry stakeholders will partner to develop a deployment roadmap focusing on the opportunities for natural gas as a cost effective, lower emission fuel for the heavy transportation sector.
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Phuket MOU Promotes Alternative Energy Use
February 16, 2010 – 1:36 am
Source: Phuket News Thailand, Phuket
Dr Wannarat Channukul, Thailand’s Energy Minister, has presided over an Energy Saving MOU signing between Phuket Governor, Wichai Praisa-ngob and representatives from the Ministry of Energy. Phuket News reports that the MOU aims to reduce CO2 emissions by promoting alternative energy sources, encouraging biogas production from refuse, promoting natural gas as a vehicle fuel and setting in place representatives to bring this initiative to fruition.
Quebec Receives Govt Funding for Biogas Waste-to-Fuel Project
February 12, 2010 – 1:14 pm
Canada, Rivière-du-Loup, Québec
Canadian PM Steve Harper announces project details
A green infrastructure project in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, funded on a cost-sharing basis by the Canadian Government, will see the construction of a system to treat organic waste and convert it to biogas, a renewable fuel. This project operates under an agreement-in-principle undertaken with the Government of Quebec relating to the $1 billion federal Green Infrastructure Fund of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. “Projects like the one announced in Rivière-du-Loup are part of our strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, in so doing, combat climate change,” said Prime Minister Steve Harper.
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Tanzania Govt Masterplan to Shift State-Owned Vehicles to Natural Gas
January 24, 2010 – 2:16 am
Source: The East African Tanzania
The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has reportedly decided to adopt natural gas as the fuel of choice for all state-owned vehicles, and has developed a masterplan to implement the project, according to an item published in The East African. The master plan, which includes considerations for infrastructure and refuelling stations, will make it mandatory for government motor vehicles to be configured so they can use natural gas. Although the move seems likely to upset oil importers the government is strongly focussed on the obvious financial and environmental benefits of switching to natural gas.
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Trinidad and Tobago to Encourage Faster Shift to NGVs
January 23, 2010 – 1:04 am
Source: Guardian Trinidad and Tobago
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) is planning to add new financial incentives for NGVs to encourage more motorists to use the fuel and protect the environment. “Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is the way to go,” said Energy Minister Conrad Enill, adding that utilizing more CNG will enhance T&T’s commitment to the environment. The project, still in its planning stages, is in part a response to the Copenhagen Summit and also to a likely reducing demand by the US for T&T’s LNG as that country’s natural gas reserves continue to strengthen, according to a T&T Guardian report.
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Port’s Clean Truck Program Shines Bright White for 2010
January 20, 2010 – 2:59 pm
Canada, Vancouver
Clean white trucks symbolise 80% emission reduction by Clean Trucks Program
Pollution reduced almost 80 % – two years ahead of schedule
The Port of Long Beach ushered in 2010 with a major Clean Trucks Program milestone, banning about eight thousand 1993 and older “dirty diesel” trucks and replacing them mostly with the signature white rigs that now service the Port. About 90 percent of all truck engines now meet the strict U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2007 emissions standards, for a pollution reduction of nearly 80 percent since the program began in 2008.
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Bolivia CNG Conversion Committee Sets Goal for 2010
December 15, 2009 – 8:44 pm
Source: Agencia Boliviana de Información (ABI) Bolivia, La Paz
With 55 million bolivianos (USD 7.83m) available to spend, the head of Bolivia’s General Committee of Conversion, Daniel Gonzales, has set a goal of converting more than 15 thousand vehicles from public and private transport to natural gas vehicle in 2010, at no cost to vehicle owners. Tenders for conversion workshops were posted this week.
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ADB Approves Loan for CNG-Powered Bus Rapid Transit Project in PRC
December 15, 2009 – 8:52 am
China, Lanzhou
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US $150 million loan for Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), to help set up a sustainable urban transport system that will reduce transport time and costs and cut harmful emissions of greenhouse gases. The centerpiece will be the establishment of a CNG-fueled bus rapid transit system – marking the first ADB project to support an urban mass transport service. ADB’s loan makes up around 31% of the total project cost of $480.3 million.
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Tax Extenders Bill Passed in US House of Reps – Senate Next Stop
December 11, 2009 – 9:07 am
USA
Efforts to extend Volumetric Excise Tax Credits (VETAC) in the USA beyond the current December 31 deadline have come one step closer to success this week with the House of Representatives passing the “Tax Extenders” Bill (HR4213) on Wednesday. The bill extends the tax credit of 50 cents per gallon of compressed natural gas (CNG) and 50 cents per liquid gallon of liquefied natural gas (LNG) used for vehicle fuel to December 31, 2010.
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European Commission Moves Toward Transport White Paper for Next Decade
December 3, 2009 – 8:32 am
Europe
The European Commission has hosted a high-level conference in Brussels on the future of the European transport system, with IANGV’s European affiliate NGVA Europe participating as a representative of the regional NGV industry. The November 20th event marked the closing of two public consultations that the Commission launched in June 2009 with its Communication ‘A sustainable future for transport’ and its Green Paper ‘Trans-European transport network: A policy review’.
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Tripartite Letter to US Congress Seeks Tax Credits Extension for NGVs
November 27, 2009 – 11:42 pm
Source: APGA USA
Tax credits set to expire end-of-year; new incentives sought
The American Public Gas Association (APGA) has joined the American Gas Association (AGA) and Natural Gas Vehicle Association (NGVAmerica) on a letter in support of Congress extending expiring tax credits for natural gas vehicles. The letter was sent to the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. The tax credits expire at the end of the year unless extended by Congress.
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