Energy and Climate are Hot: NGVs are Not ... but they could be!

Welcome to the third of a four part discussion and analysis on legislative and regulatory initiatives being undertaken by European Union policy makers, written especially for NGV Global.

PART 3

Directive on the Promotion of the Use of Renewable Energy Sources 

The European Council in March 2007 agreed to a 10% binding minimum target for the share of biofuels in transport by 2020. The Council, concerned about impacts on food prices, land use, and the destruction of forests (including rain forests)  attached strict conditions to this target, notably, “subject to production being sustainable, and that “second-generation biofuels” becoming commercially available and the Fuel Quality Directive being amended accordingly to allow for adequate levels of blending."

On March 20th, Los Angeles Harbor Commission approved a Clean Truck Program for the Port of LA similar to the one approved by the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners last month. The program goes into effect on October 1st.  One major difference is that the LA Port Plan requires that drivers be employees of port-approved concessionaires.  There also are differences with respect to exemptions and financing. 

The president of the Peruvian Environment National Congress, Manuel Bernales Alvarado, has proposed that, in order to improve their efficiency and emissions, all trains in Peru should operate on natural gas, including the railroads that will be constructed in the Amazonian region. Bernales Alvarado especially addressed the Brazil-Peru railroad project that will link the northern ports of Paita and Bayóvar with the Brazilian locality of Cruceiro do Sul.  This project was unanimously approved by the National Congress on March 13th.  Natural gas trains for the Amazon were already discussed at the First Congress about International Environmental Science called "Amazonia and Sustainable Development.”  It was stated that natural gas use must be a fundamental requirement for the approval of the environmental impact statement for the railroad project because it saves energy, reduces pollution and improves the protection of the Amazonian ecosystem. 

USA, Brookhaven LI

The Town of Brookhaven New York is looking to buy upwards of 70 compressed natural gas refuse trucks, and is holding a conference April 7 to detail the bidding process. Bids will be due on April 22. And a decision on winning carters is be made public on May 6, says Ron Gulmi of National Grid, the former KeySpan utility.

USA, Sempra

Natural gas vehicles key part of strategy

Last week, as part of its efforts to support California's goals for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, Sempra’s Southern California Gas Co. and San Diego Gas & Electric announced a program to reduce the greenhouse-gas emissions of their fleet vehicles approximately 15 percent by 2012.  While vehicles only account for about 5 percent of the utilities' greenhouse-gas emissions, from a statewide perspective the transportation sector is responsible for about 40 percent of overall emissions.

USA, California

Four more compressed natural gas (CNG) infrastructure jobs have been awarded in the state, to Southern California’s Gas Equipment Systems, Inc. (GESI). The projects include various supply, construction and management aspects fo refuelling stations in Pasadena, Tulare, Beaumont and San Juan. Fleets and Fuels.

USA, Ashville NC

The potential to cut fuel costs by more than half brought about 150 fleet managers and others from across the Southeast this week to a daylong seminar on natural gas at the Lutheridge Conference Center in Ashville NC, as reported by the Ashville Citizen-Times. Participants in the seminar got an up-close look at trucks and cars owned by the City of Asheville, UNC Asheville and Mission Hospitals that run on compressed natural gas (CNG). In the afternoon, they were shuttled over to tour Altec-Eco Corp.’s vehicle conversion plant and its fueling station in Arden. “You’re lucky that you have a couple of natural gas fueling stations here in Asheville,” Barry Carr, said Vice President of alternative fuels for American Honda. 

Canada, Ottawa

Natural gas is the ideal primary energy source, supplemented by renewables such as geo-thermal and solar power, to help communities reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move to a more efficient and sustainable energy future, concludes a new report released today by the Canadian Gas Association (CGA). 

Thailand, Bangkok

Chevvy launches dual-fuel Colorado pickup 

Chevrolet's long awaited dual-fuel CNG-Diesel Colorado pickup truck has been launched at the Bangkok Motor Show. It is the first dual-fuel truck produced for the Thai market, and runs on a mixture of 65% CNG and 35% diesel . If necessary the truck can travel on diesel alone.  CNG fuel expansion in Thailand is supported by a huge supply of natural gas in the Gulf of Thailand and a growing network of CNG refuelling stations.

China, Beijing

Sinoenergy Corporation has announced the opening of three new retail Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations in Wuhan City, Hubei Province. The Company has now opened a total of six retail CNG filling stations in Central and East China.  Wuhan City is the capital of Hubei Province and the biggest city in Central China, with a population of over 9.0 million people. The city has 6,300 buses and 20,000 taxis, and about 7,000 CNG vehicles. There are fewer than 14 retail CNG filling stations in Wuhan, and at least 20 to 30 retail CNG filling stations are needed to meet current demand for CNG. Sinoenergy plans to develop and open for business a number of retail CNG filling stations in Wuhan throughout 2008. 

USA

OEM delivery vehicles added to fleet 

UPS has deployed 167 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) delivery vehicles in Texas, Georgia and California. The CNG vehicles, part of UPS's global alternative fuel fleet, will help reduce the company's carbon footprint and its dependence on fossil fuels. The trucks are expected to reduce emissions by 20 percent and improve fuel economy by 10 percent compared to the cleanest diesel engines available today.

EU research ministers have approved a regulation setting up a long-term public-private research partnership on hydrogen and fuel cells, with the aim of reducing the time to market for these technologies by 2-5 years and thus cutting CO2 emissions. EurActive reports that a Competitiveness Council on 25 February 2008 reached an agreement on the essential elements for the launch of the EU 'Fuel Cells and Hydrogen' joint technology initiative (JTI). The aim of the joint public-private research undertaking, agreed by the Council, is to speed up the development of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies in Europe to enable their commercialisation between 2010 and 2020. The EU is set to contribute some €470 million to this research programme over the next six years and the private sector is expected to gather the same amount.

ISO standards are regularly reviewed.  The cylinder standard ISO 11439 is currently going through this process.  There is now a draft standard which is being reviewed.  Any reader of NGV Global who wishes to review the draft should request a copy from This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Comments on the draft need to be submitted to ISO through the appropriate national standards association.
 

Austria

After starting previous seasons with fairly conservative and humble goals in mind, the OMV backed compressed natural gas (CNG) rally team in Austria has its sights firmly set on taking first place for this year's Austrian rally championship season. The season commences next week with the LICO Lavanttal Rally on April 4-5. The OMV team is unchanged from last year, with Beppo Harrach and Andreas Schindlbacher as driver and co-driver respectively and driving a CNG Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX modified by Stohl-Racing. One change this year though will be that the vehicle will be fuelled 100 percent with pure renewable biomethane.

India

Five Indian automobile majors — Bajaj Auto, Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) and Eicher Motors — have come together to develop hydrogen blended compressed natural gas (HCNG) fuelled vehicles according to The India Times.  The pilot project will use CNG with different blends of hydrogen fuel ranging from 12% to 30%. This will be tested on the different type of vehicles that will be supplied by these manufacturers. Bajaj Auto's three-wheeler has reportedly already been tested along with Tata Motors' light commercial vehicles (LCV), while bigger commercial vehicles and buses will soon be tested.

China, Macau

A successful visit to China's National NGV Engineering Research Center by the Macao Transportation General Chamber of Commerce, could lead to natural gas vehicles being introduced in Macau within the next two years. Macau's Daily Times says during the five day tour, the delegation also visited the China Gas Automobile Technology Centre and several automobile corporations to gain knowledge on the various aspects of a natural gas fuelled public transportation service and associated industries. 

Energy and Climate are Hot: NGVs are Not ... but they could be!

Welcome to the second of a four part discussion and analysis on legislative and regulatory initiatives being undertaken by European Union policy makers, written especially for NGV Global.  

PART 2

THE EUROPEAN POLITICAL AGENDA: CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES FOR NGVS

There are no less than six different legislative initiatives currently in debate in Brussels that have an impact on natural gas and biomethane as a vehicle fuel.  Debate on each of these initiatives has been lively, and decisions being made in the upcoming months could have a wide-ranging impact on the European perception about and markets for natural gas and renewable biomethane. 

USA, Fresno

The Californian city of Fresno is celebrating it's investment decision of five years ago, when it switched some of it's fleet to natural gas. KFSN reports with the price of diesel fuel skyrocketing so far this year the city has been forced to pay out $400,000 dollars more to fuel its fleet than budgeted but, "we would have been $1.2 million over had we not switched to liquid natural gas (LNG)," said Joseph Oldham, Fresno Fleet Supervisor. "Now we've seen not only emissions benefits but cost savings by running alternative fuels." 

Philippines, Manila

Commuters in the Philippines are enjoying free travel on compressed natural gas (CNG) buses - part of an initiative to raise  awareness of the availability and safety of the buses for their daily commute. The initiative comes almost five months after the launch of CNG refuelling facilities by Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp (PSPC) and mark the next stage of development for the long standing Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport (NGVPPT). Eleven CNG-powered buses from six DOE-accredited operators taking part in the current 10 day free ride program. PSPC's CNG mother station, which was completed last year near its refinery in Batangas, and the daughter refilling station in Binan, Laguna, are currently the only facilities supporting the government's CNG project. The sites were built using Galileo equipment from Argentina.

Energy and Climate are Hot: NGVs are Not ... but they could be!

Welcome to the first of a four part discussion on legislative and regulatory initiatives being undertaken by European Union policy makers, written especially for NGV Global.

PART 1

Energy and environment legislative and regulatory initiatives are among the most important ‘front page’ issues being tabled in Brussels in the opening months of 2008.  Some initiatives, like the ‘Energy and Climate Package’ launched on 23 January 2008 are newly emerging.  But there are a host of other initiatives carried over from 2007 that will continue to be debated throughout the year and likely longer.   While energy and climate are (in policy terms) ‘hot’, NGVs are not; but they might be if a credible campaign to get back on the political agenda becomes an industry priority.  The strategy must include focusing not only on the European Commission and European Parliament, but also on specific environmental NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and, of course, the natural gas industry itself.