Natural Gas - an important and sustainable asset

News item: Natural Gas - an important and sustainable asset in the Transportation Sector

Press release 9 November 2007

Natural Gas - an important and sustainable asset
in the Transportation Sector

The International Gas Union, The International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles and Marcogaz have today issued joint letters to National and Local Governments and to leaders in the global gas industry to promote the use of natural gas in the transportation sector.

Increased use of natural gas will have environmental benefits as reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced harmful vehicle emissions that cause local air pollution, and reduced noise. This has clearly already been demonstrated in a number of major cities around the world, including New Delhi in India where all public vehicles have been converted into CNG (Compressed Natural Gas). It will also act as a pathway to use hydrogen as a transport fuel.

Today 7.1 million vehicles use natural gas worldwide, resulting in a reduction of 15 million tonnes CO2 emissions. Natural gas use in cars results also in less NOx, very few particulates compared to diesel and significantly lower emissions of unregulated pollutants.

Natural gas can also be complemented by biomethane produced from organic waste, from crops or wood grown on available land, or algae. Several countries have already successfully introduced biomethane in their vehicle fuel mix.

The industry needs governmental support with a long term commitment through leadership by example by introducing natural gas in fleets owned or sub-contracted, introduction of fiscal incentives, and national plans for refuelling stations.

The governments need the gas industry to undertake investments in refuelling infrastructure, make commitments to use natural gas in industry vehicles, and to communicate to customers the advantages of use of natural gas in cars and heavy duty vehicles.

With a corresponding growth in number of vehicles of 18% pa since 1991, by 2020, we may have reached 65 million vehicles, and multiplied the benefits of today.

The world leaders at the G8 summit in May 2006 and the Energy Ministers of APEC in May 2007 supported energy efficiency and increased diversity in the fuel mix of the transportation sector.

IGU, IANGV and Marcogaz are convinced that natural gas in the transportation sector will benefit the society, and that a closer cooperation between the industry and governments should be encouraged.

NGV Letter to Chief Executives

NGV Letter to National And Local Governments

If you have questions or need further information about the contents of this press release please contact the IGU secretariat at secrigu@statoilhydro.com, Tel: +47 2297 2000, Fax: +47 2253 6318.

Torstein Indreboe
Secretary General

IGU

The International Gas Union (IGU) is a worldwide non-profit organisation, which has the objective to promote the technical and economic progress of the gas industry. The members and NGV affiliates[1] of IGU are associations and entities of the gas industries in 68 countries on all continents. IGU's working organisation covers all aspects of the gas industry from exploration and production of natural gas on- or offshore, piped transmission and distribution systems to customers' premises and combustion of the gas at the point of use. For more information visit the web site www.igu.org.

IANGV

The International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles (IANGV) provides the NGV industry with an international forum and to foster growth, safety, product development, standardisation and policy formation. Including regional affiliates[2], IANGV currently represent the interests of the NGV community in more than 70 countries (more than 600 members throughout the World, from vehicle and equipment manufacturers to the gas industry and users).

Marcogaz

Marcogaz, the technical association of the European gas industry, is a non-profit organization which has the objective to serve its European members on technical legislation and standardisation issues and to promote technical conditions required for the market success of natural gas.

Members of three organizations include representatives from largest oil and gas companies, regional/local natural gas associations, all players, large and small, in the natural gas chain right through to users such as representatives of the car industry etc. These associations express their strong commitment in further development in the methane for vehicles sector as a major growth opportunity for the gas industry.  In addition, use of methane in vehicles will give substantial energy and environmental benefits for the people of the World.