Dates set for January meetings – stakeholders invited

NGV Global on Oct 23 published an article advising that ENGVA in early 2008 would be replaced by a new European NGV association. It is now time to provide some further news in this regard. At the ENGVA Board of Directors (BoD) meeting held on November 15 discussions were held both about the winding down in 2008 of ENGVA, and the new organisation (agenda, structure, location, manning and statutes)

The ENGVA BoD, since the annual meeting held in Strasbourg on June 19, 2007, consists of eight elected A-level members, and also three elected officers (which could be chosen among all membership levels). One out of the eight elected A-level members in September advised that he from the start of 2008 would resign from the BoD . From January 1, 2008, the ENGVA BoD thus has the following composition:
 
Peter Boisen, Target 2010 Partners, Chairman of the Board
Trevor Fletcher, The Hardstaff Group, Vice chairman
Hans Wach, Gasmobil AG, Secretary
Anders Mathiasson, The Swedish Gas Association
Ivan Dordolo, ENI
Joan Plana Llaurado, Gas Natural
Manuel Lage, Iveco
Maurizio Pastini, Fiat (replacing Valeria Albizzati)
Robert Hastings, Swagelok (replacing Peter Ehlers)
Stefan Thimm, BDEW (replacing Albert Kobbe, BGW), or Uwe Klaas, DVGW - shared BDEW/DVGW membership.
 
All but two of the BoD members have already confirmed their attendance, personally, or via proxy, at the next BoD meeting which will be held on January 10, 2008, at Hilton Schiphol, Amsterdam. This meeting will have a dual purpose - a continued review of the the next steps concerning nthe winding down in 2008 of ENGVA, and the foundation of the new 'NGVA Europe'.
 
Organizational structure of NGVA Europe
 
We plan to register the new association in the UK (advantageous considering language issues), where we will also arrange back-office support concerning all invoicing, accounting, and auditing (under the responsibility of a Financial Officer). In addition other operational activities will during the period 2008-2010 be handled via a branch office in Madrid. The manning in Madrid will include three persons - the Secretary General, full time secreterial support, and a Manager responsible for various duties - web site maintenance, membership contacts, event management, liason with committee chairs, as well as other duties assigned by the Secretary General. The operational branch office may in the future rotate every three years to another European country. Candidates are available for all above mentioned positions, and the names will be communicated following the inaugural BoD meeting on January 10.
 
Thanks to generous offers from two leading members our staff costs will be very limited during 2008. Assuming that most of the paid up members of the present ENGVA will join NGVA Europe, and provide membership fees roughly on the current ENGVA level, these offers will allow NGVA Europe to build up during 2008 a required financial reserve.
 
Committee meetings in Madrid
 
NGVA Europe will from 1 PM, January 29 until 1 PM January 31, arrange committee meetings, hosted by Iveco, in Madrid. The afternoon session on January 29 and the morning session on January 31 will be plenary sessions, whereas January 30 will be set aside for meetings in different committees - the Technical Committee (TC), including various ad hoc working groups, the Marketing and Communications Committee (MCC), also including various ad hoc working groups, and the Country Representatives Committee (CRC) to which we invite representatives of all national NGV associations.
 
The chairs and vice chairs of the TC and MCC committees will shortly contact ENGVA members that have been actively involved in committee work and ask them to participate in Madrid, and help to get NGVA Europe off to a flying start. We have the ambition that different member categories, e.g. LD OEM vehicle manufacturers, MD/HD OEM vehicle manufacturers, CNG and LNG distributors, cylinder manufacturers, and various other groups of component manufacturers, under the umbrella of NGVA Europe, will agree to form 'ad hoc' working groups dealing with specific lobbying issues. NGVA employees and leading BoD members will, of course, also take an active part in supporting the lobbying issues, but we see a need for a increased level of professionalism in the position papers presented, and this can only be achieved via active involvement by the real specialists.
 
I will personally get in touch with the heads of all national NGV associations, and ask them to join the CRC. It is important that information from NGVA Europe on European or international developments can be spread, in the national language, via the national NGV associations,  to national NGV interests , and it is equally important that national information can be forwarded to NGVA Europe by the national associations.
 
Paid up ENGVA members, and other interested parties which have not earlier belonged to ENGVA, are most welcome to attend the meeting in Madrid. Recommendations concerning hotels will be provided via myself and the committee chairs, and we will also communicate details concerning the venue. All participants at the Madrid meeting will be offered an opportunity to sign up as members of NGVA Europe. Details concerning membership fees have not yet been finalized, but will be roughly on the level previously used within ENGVA. Concerning the national associations we will most likely, on a year by year basis, apply rates which take into account the present level of national NGV activities, and the financial strength of the respective assocaitions.

The venue for these meetings will be:

Iveco España S.L.
Avenida de Aragón, 402
28022 Madrid
 
 
Prospective members of the new NGVA Europe, are asked to advise their wish to attend the Jan 29-31 committee meetings by January 21 latest to:

Carol Sheridan
IVECO España
S.L. Natural Gas Vehicle Development
Avenida de Aragón 402
28022 Madrid, Spain
Telf: + 34 91 325 1106
Fax: + 34 91 325 2209
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 
The opportunity
 
The use of NGVs has grown dramatically over the last 3-4 years - almost twice as many NGVs now as three years ago. Increasing crude oil prices, continued pressure on CO2 emission reductions, and a continued demand for reduction of traffic generated noise and pollution, all strongly support the NGV market growth. And, looking at demands for increased use of biofuels, the biomethane option more and more stands out as a superior alternative. New technologies -  LNG opportunities for HD vehicles, dual fuel engines, compressor and/or turbocharged engines for LD vehicles, and improved fuel storage systems - will all help to make the NGVs even more attractive. We have a golden opportunity. Dedicated joint efforts on the lobbying side will help to boost the market growth. 
Welcome to Madrid!
 
Peter Boisen
 
Contact addresses
 
Peter Boisen, Chairman  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Flavio Mariani, Chairman of the Technical Committee  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Gijs van Schoonhoven, Vice Chair of the Technical Committe This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Gabriele Gozzi, Chairman of the Marketing and Communications Committe This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Carl Wagner, Vice Chair of the Marketing and Communications Committee This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it