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Natural Analyses Use of Natural
Gas in Transport in Andalusia
Gas Natural Analyses Use
of Natural Gas in
Transport in Andalusia
Wednesday, 04 July 2007
Spain, Seville
Seville’s fleet of nearly 90
natural gas powered city buses
expected to increase to 190 in
the next few years.
The Deputy Minister for the
Environment of the Andalusian
Autonomous Government (Junta de
Andalucía), Juan Espadas and in
the General Manager of the Gas
Natural Foundation, Pedro
Fábregas, officiated over a
seminar 'Natural gas in
transport vehicles in Andalusia'
in Seville last month, attended
by nearly 100 transport,
environment and mobility
professionals, as well as
researchers, university
lecturers and students and
environmental organisations.
The seminar, the ninth of its
kind organised jointly by the
Gas Natural Foundation and the
Andalusian Autonomous
Government, analysed the current
situation of the use of natural
gas in cars from the
environmental, economic and
technical viewpoints of
manufacturers, users and public
management.
Strategies were also examined by
which companies and public
administrations could give
impetus to the massive
introduction of natural gas in
transport in Spain, following
the example of countries like
Germany and Italy.
Technology and environment
During the study day, Hendrik
Balters, Marketing Manager of
Opel, spoke on the development
of the market for vehicular
natural gas (VNG) vehicles in
Europe, the increase in
registrations of gas vehicles,
and automobile technology to
adapt vehicles to this new
energy.
Next, Xavier Abadia, head of
Mobility Projects of the RACC
Foundation, made an evaluation
of pollutants from petrol,
diesel, hybrid and natural gas
vehicles. He also talked about
the influence of fuel on
results, emphasising that
vehicular natural gas (VNG) is
the energy that can face up to
environmental challenges.
Jorge Urban, head of Development
of VNG at Gas Natural Soluciones,
explained that Seville already
has a fleet of 90 coaches that
use natural gas, a figure which
is envisaged to rise to 190 in
the next few years. He also
presented the development plan
which the company is to
implement in the light vehicles
sector, and which includes
extending the use of VNG in the
taxi and light vehicle fleets of
large cities like Malaga and
Seville, amongst other measures.
Fernando Delgado, head of
Engineering Maintenance at
Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla (Tussam),
offered an overall vision of
public passenger transport, and
Mario Tejeda, Director of the
Institute of the Taxi of the
Governance Department, Seville
City Council, suggested that the
use of VNG in taxis is a
reliable alternative, with
significant economic and
environmental advantages. Apart
from this, Francisco Bas,
Managing Director of the
Andalusian Energy Agency, spoke
of the actions that this body,
registered with the Ministry for
Innovation, Science and
Business, is carrying out to
encourage the use of VNG.
Finally, Esperanza Caro, General
Director for Prevention and
Environmental Quality of the
Andalusian Ministry of the
Environment, closed the
conference by emphasising the
importance of using VNG to
improve urban air quality and to
combat climate change.
Sustainable development
With this initiative, the Gas
Natural Foundation, the
Andalusian Autonomous Government
and Seville City Council are
working together in the search
for criteria for sustainable
development as applied to
transport, and in awareness
training for society on the
environmental problems that
human action creates,
disseminating possible
solutions.
Source: NGV Global
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