International trade association NGV Global, working to promote natural gas as a fuel for mobility, is a member-based not for profit organisation making a difference. Founded in 1986, NGV Global will this year celebrate thirty years working with top level decision makers in several countries seeking to employ fossil natural gas and renewable natural gas as an alternative, low-emission, safe and available fuel for transportation.
NGV Global reports 2015 (Member Bulletin 01/2016) as its busiest year with an equally busy agenda set for 2016. Drawing on the rich resource of its members — NGV industry associations, government and corporate members and natural gas stakeholders – NGV Global has been responding to increased demand for guidance and knowledge, facilitating lobby groups arguing for adoption of cleaner fuel. That interest continues despite the narrowing differential between natural gas price and oil based fuels.
Why? Governments and transportation providers say that although cost is a critical factor, so too is the environment cost. Natural gas fuel offers the benefits of less CO2, almost zero particulates, lower NOx and more, all factors identified by countries worldwide as essential factors to be considered when planning their future fuel matrices.
“The current scenario of low oil prices and economic turmoil might lead to believe that the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel will be abandoned or that it serves no immediate purpose. Nothing could be further from the truth; fuel prices are just another variable in the equation. The greater impact of the use of natural gas comes from the environmental and social benefits it provides. Sustainability is a concept based on those three pillars – economic, social and environmental – and natural gas continues grow as the most sustainable fuel for transportation,” explains Diego Goldin, NGV Executive Director.
In September last year, NGV Global assisted in the cooperation between US DoE and the Government of Israel to prepare Israeli Government officials for the introduction and supervision of NGVs. Since that meeting the Israel’s’ Ministry of Transport has announced financial support for the purchase of 100 CNG buses and plans to implement 30-40 CNG stations within two years.
Also last year, NGV Global met with Korean government agencies (KEITI, Ministry of Environment), companies (KOGAS and others) and the Korean Gas Union. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the future of NGVs in the region and Korea`s participation in the Gas Industry in general and NGV Industry in particular. Korea will hold the IGU presidency in the next triennium.
Arising out of that collaboration, and with the approval of the Korean Association for Natural Gas Vehicles (KANGV), NGV Global is pleased to make available to Governments and regional natural gas for transportation associations “Implementation of NGV in South Korea”, a comprehensive presentation delivered at a 2015 Regional Gas Competence Seminar, organized by the IGU and the World Bank.
KANGV is an NGV Global Affiliated Association, and as such is part of NGV Global’s Board of Directors. It is a very proactive organization that comprises the major stakeholders in the very successful NGV Industry in Korea.
The presentation covers justification for developing an alternative to petroleum fuels, the journey to implementation, indicators of success, government involvement and future direction.
Interested parties are invited to request the presentation from NGV Global by emailing admin@ngvglobal.org, identifying your position and area of responsibility, and briefly commenting on the status of NGV development in your country or region.
In 2016 NGV Global will continue to be involved in collaboration with national governments wishing to shift to a more sustainable transportation. “Busy is good,” Goldin says, “for it means natural gas as a fuel for transportation is increasingly on agendas all over the world”.
This year we will also focus on preparations for NGV Global’s 15th biennial Conference and Exhibition, to be held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands from March 20-23, 2017.
Website: www.ngv2017.com
