Blue Corridor Route 2012
From 8-24 September, Russian natural gas company Gazprom and German natural gas company E.ON Ruhrgas will join together to support the sixth Blue Corridor 2012 NGV Rally, which will feature natural gas vehicles (NGVs) driving across Europe in an effort to educate the public on the benefits of natural gas as a transportation fuel. Through events held along the 6,100 kilometer-long rally route, Gazprom and E.ON Ruhrgas will demonstrate why methane is the most abundant, clean, safe and affordable transportation fuel. About 20 vehicles will participate.
The 2012 Blue Corridor Rally commences in Moscow shortly after the conclusion of the GasSUF 2012 conference and exhibition. Through vehicle exhibits and roundtable discussions in 11 major European cities, the Blue Corridor 2012 NGV Rally will demonstrate how natural gas is changing the transportation industry and helping the environment – all while saving consumers money. Europe is home to 1.5 million NGVs, with that number predicted to swell as natural gas becomes increasingly accepted as a mainstream fuel.
Rally organisers say increasing the number of NGVs on the road would benefit Europe by:
- Saving money: NGV owners pay less at the pump since natural gas costs about 30 percent less than diesel and about 50 percent less than petrol. NGVs also tend to have lower maintenance costs because natural gas burns cleanly, causing less engine deterioration than petroleum-based fuels.
- Increasing energy security: According to the International Gas Union, current natural gas reserves will last for at least another 250 years. Switching to NGVs will help reduce Europe’s oil dependency.
- Protecting the environment: On average, natural gas-powered vehicles produce about 20 percent fewer emissions than gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles. Light-duty NGVs even emit up to 90 percent less nitrogen oxide and 98 percent less hydrocarbon than gasoline-fueled autos.
Blue Corridor’s fleet of vehicles will drive from Russia to Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, France and Brussels. Leaving Moscow September 8, the tour will make stops in the cities of Orsha, Belarus; Minsk, Belarus; Brest, Belarus; Warsaw, Poland; Prague, Czech Republic; Mannheim, Germany; Paris, France; Brussels, Belgium; Essen, Germany and Berlin, Germany before returning back to Moscow.
The Blue Corridor Rally can be followed on the Blue Corridor website.
