Dr Jeffrey Seisler is the CEO of Clean Fuels Consulting and is also Vice President Government Relations for IANGV.

Two new developments within the structure of the United Nations Working Party 29 on World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations will change the way natural gas vehicles and other alternative fuels are handled within the worldwide regulatory body.  Up until 2008 the gaseous emissions-and-safety-based regulations (for NGVs and liquefied petroleum gas – LPG) have been handled within the Group of Experts on Pollution and Energy (GRPE), one of the groups within the WP29.  As of June 2007 the activities outside of fuel and emissions, such as the all-important safety provisions associated with Regulations 110 and 115 will be handled by the Group of Experts on General Safety (GRSG).  Additionally, a new Informal Group on Gaseous Fuelled Vehicles (GFV) was created within GRPE as a ‘fast-track’ measure for all the emissions-based regulations.  These two new developments overall are positive, however, not without some new challenges.

Much of the NGV and LPG expertise has resided in the GRPE.  Many of the knowledgeable delegates from Contracting Parties (i.e. member countries) as well as the special interest groups representing the auto manufacturers, vehicle equipment suppliers, and emissions specialists have, for years, participated in the GRPE.  The two principle UN regulations 110 (vehicle equipment) and 115 (installation of vehicle equipment) were created within the GRPE.  Now, however, all the non-emissions and non-fuels-related regulations will be moved under the jurisdiction of the GRSG, whose delegates are safety experts but not necessarily steeped in NGV and LPG expertise.  Though some members are CNG and LPG ‘savvy’, overall there will be a learning curve now involved in bringing many GRSG delegates up to speed about the wide ranging safety and equipment issues associated with NGVs and LPG.  It remains to be seen if this will have an influence on prolonging the process to develop non-emissions based regulations.  Fortunately, the Italian chairman of the GRSG, Antonio Erario (from the Italian Ministry of Transport) is very knowledgeable about NGVs and LPG equipment, which is a definite benefit.  The GRPE and GRSG both meet twice annually, which means more time will have to be devoted to UN business.  The umbrella WP29 committee under which these other two subgroups fall also meets twice annually.

Fast-Track Consensus-Building

Within the GRPE an Informal Group on Gaseous Fuelled Vehicles (GFV for short) was created in June 2007 and confirmed by the WP29 this past November 2007. The tasks of the new Informal Group will be:
 
1)     To evaluate regulatory requirements with the aim to facilitate testing and type approval of vehicles and equipment designed for gaseous fuels, in the light of:
•    adaptation to technical progress (a fast-track process to amend directives and regulations).
•    regulatory changes, such as new emissions requirements of the Contracting Parties, and
•    market entry of new technologies.

2)     To develop draft amendments to the regulatory requirements of gaseous fuelled vehicles resulting from these evaluations and submit them for consideration by the GRPE. 

The Chairman of the group is André Rijnders, Senior Engineer for Vehicle Standards and Development from the Dutch Ministry of Transportation and Public Works, and head of the Dutch delegation to the GRPE.  He will be supported by a jointly shared Secretariat provided by Jeff Seisler, acting in his capacity as Vice President of Government Relations for the International Association for NGVs and Arnaud Duvielguerbigny, Market Development Manager for the European Association for LPG (AEGPL).  Mr. Rijnders is a widely respected authority on gaseous fuel vehicle technology, standards and regulations.
The GFV held an organisational meeting on 19 September 2007 to create its ‘mandate’ and scope of work.  It will have a two year life in the first instance and will be devoted to achieving a general consensus on new work items and amendments of Regulation 115 in advance of the GRPE meetings.  This open but ‘back room’ process includes expert representatives of the European Association of Automobile Suppliers (CLEPA) staffed by professionals from companies such as Bosch, Siemens, and Delphi as well as various members of the European Automobile Manufacturer’s Association (ACEA), and AEGPL, among others. 
The GFV had its first formal meeting at the United Nations on 15 January 2008.  About 35 people from the GRPE attended.  Issues that were discussed including: 
•    On-Board Diagnostics.  CLEPA proposed an amendment to Regulation No. 83, (Emissions of M1 and N1 categories of vehicles – light duty passenger cars and commercial vehicles).  The general intention is to allow the implementation of an OBD system for "bifuel" vehicles which is basically identical to that of a "monofuel plus" system. The new language would allow the use of an OBD system designed for "monofuel plus" systems to also be used as a "bifuel" system (when certain conditions are met).  (The amendment was adopted at the GRPE meeting on 17-18 January 2008 and will be forwarded to the full WP29 at its next meeting in March 2008.) 
•    Measurement and Display Units.  A wide range of natural gas measurement units are used worldwide and also used for displays on fuel dispensers and at public fuelling stations.  These include cubic meters (m3, either standard or normal m3); kilograms (kg); standard cubic feet (scf); and gasoline gallon/litre equivalent.  CLEPA introduced the need to develop worldwide harmonized units and this will be a topic of on-going discussion.
•    Other concepts:  There were a variety of issues raised that will need further attention into the future, including: mixed operation of natural gas, petrol and diesel, including diesel dual fuel systems; reference fuel specification that deletes the reference to Wobbe index; and, raised by AEGPL, mandates regarding the use of CNG and LPG retrofit systems that conform directly to ECE regulations or face prohibitions.  On this last item, which also was raised at the GRPE meeting, further legal clarification will be sought.

United Nations: Working Party on General Safety Provisions (GRSG) (within the framework of the World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations)

The first meeting of the group when NGVs were on the agenda was in October 2007.  The new responsibility of the GRSG to handle various NGV issues was announced formally at the meeting.

One NGV item was on the agenda, being moved from the GRPE to the GRSG: ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/13 originally submitted to the GRPE 17 April 2007.

The main reason of this amendment is to clarify the distinction between pressure relief device (temperature triggered) and the pressure relief device (pressure triggered), also called "burst disc".  Furthermore, some specific provisions are added for the burst disc.

This amendment is available through the IANGV website or through Clean Fuels Consulting, for those stakeholders who are interested in making comments before the next meeting of the GRSG the week of 21st April 2008 at the United Nations in Geneva.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Jeffrey Seisler

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