CNG NEWS

CNG NEWS >> International >> Bolivia Passes 75,000 NGV and 100 CNG Station Milestones

Bolivia Passes 75,000 NGV and 100 CNG Station Milestones

Wednesday, 11 July 2007

Bolivia, Santa Cruz

Bolivia’s natural gas vehicle (NGV) industry is powering ahead with the 75,000 NGV’s now on the country’s roads and 100 compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelling stations now servicing them making natural gas the most used alternative fuel in the country.  Details of the milestones were announced by the interim chairman of Transredes, Hugo Vits, explaining that the Superintendent of Hydrocarbons had issued a report of the 100 stations with an operations licenses: 43 in Cochabamba, 37 in Santa Cruz, 14 in La Paz/El Alto, 2 in Sucre, 2 in Oruro and 2 in Tarija.

He said that “…the network of stations has allowed the convenience of offering service and autonomy to the users. The Bolivian entrepreneurs have made a significant investment. “ by the end of the year Transredes expects NGV numbers to increase to 83,000.

Bolivia is ranked among the first 15 in  numbers  of vehicles running on natural gas worldwide. In Latin America, it is only surpassed by Argentina, Brazil - the global leaders - and Colombia. 
 
Diesel vehicles next target market

Natural gas vehicles have allowed gasoline demand in the country to stabilize in recent years, helping to realise the goals of national energy policy. Officials are now hoping that the same success can be applied to diesel demand. Carlos Chalup, of the Promotion Program of Gas for Santa Cruz (Feria del gas) said, ” It is necessary that the users of diesel vehicles be aware that the NGV is also an option for them. It is already a large number of people who have replaced their diesel vehicles for a NGV vehicle. We have options such as the conversion of the engine, applicable to the minibuses, and the adaptation to operate heavy-duty vehicles with gas or diesel”. 
 
Pablo Rovira, manager of the Gastronic company, says that experience acquired in Bolivia since 2005 has proved valuable. “We have determined in a dynamometer in El Alto, 4.200 meters above sea level, that the dual-fuel performance is equivalent or better than operating strictly with diesel.” At the moment the monitoring of a sugar cane cargo truck is being carried out, measuring the consumption of gas and diesel and the road performance and temperature of the motor. The first tests showed a consumption of gas of 53%. The bi-fuel gas-diesel technology is being tested in Santa Cruz with very positive results”, highlighted Rovira. 
 
Chalup explained that at the beginning of 2004, the consumption of NGV was equivalent to less than 15% of the gasoline demand. To March 2007 it was already equivalent to 36% of the demand for gasoline. The demand for NGV and gasoline is of 4.000 bep (barrels of equivalent petroleum) and 11.000 bep, respectively. The 83.000 vehicles projected until the end of the year, will represent a demand for NGV higher than 5.000 bep.

Source: NGV Global