NGV Workshop 2018, hosted by the Ministry of Environment Korea (MOE) and organized by Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS) and Korea Association for Natural Gas Vehicles (KANGV), was held in Busan, Korea on May 31. In this workshop, an MOE official explained that they are reviewing the phased dissemination of LNG trucks, for which a pilot project will commence before the end of 2018.
By 2019, MOE will establish a dissemination plan and it is expected that actual promotion will commence from 2020.
With growing concern about the harmful effect from automobile exhaust gas, Korea is considering various measures to deal with diesel vehicles, which is the biggest contributor of PM 2.5 concentration in metropolitan area (23%).
In this context, LNG application for HD diesel trucks is positively under review and the industry’s expectation is elevating for a large-scale fuel shift in the freight sector, siilar to that which occurred for CNG bus promotion in the past.
To carry out this project, the government will conduct a demonstration program, supervise feasibility study and prepare the dissemination plan including policy support. Car makers are responsible for technology development, vehicle production and quality assurance. Gas suppliers will also be involved in the planning of the pilot operation and the construction of refueling infrastructure.
KANGV, the national natural gas vehicle association and affiliate member of NGV Global, will collaborate with the public and private entities to draft a promotion plan and examine LNG truck’s marketability.
Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company has already built and is now evaluating its 1st 400hp, 9L, LNG long-haul tractor for this project and a 13L-class model will follow in 2019 along with second 9L model. The company has a plan to start developing a mass-production system for LNG vehicle parts and further examine other LNG models from the second half of 2019.
Source: Ministry of Environment,with translation support from KANGV
