Sochi hosted today a joint meeting of the Commissions for Natural and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Vehicles of the Russian Federation Government and the Russian Gas Society (RGS) as well as the 10th anniversary meeting of the Russian National Gas Vehicles Association (NGVRUS).

Gazprom’s delegation was led by Oleg Aksyutin, Member of the Management Committee, Head of the Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization Department of Gazprom.

Participating in the Commissions meeting were Vasily Zinoviev – Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Energy of the Russian Federation State Duma, representatives of the Krasnodar Krai and Sochi Administrations and the Russian Railways. The meeting was also attended by heads and specialists from Gazprom transgaz Kuban, Gazprom transgaz Yekaterinburg, Gazprom transgaz Stavropol, Gazprom transgaz Nadym, Gazprom transgaz Makhachkala, Gazprom transgaz Tomsk, Gazprom transgaz Saint Petersburg, Gazprom transgaz Surgut, VNIIGAZ, Gazprom promgaz, Gaztechleasing and other Gazprom’s subsidiaries.

Addressing the meeting, Oleg Aksyutin emphasized that utilization of methane in vehicles can be an efficient anti-crisis measure in the environment of challenging financial and economic situation both nationally and globally. Switching of equipment to natural gas is an objective of state importance: this improves the project execution efficiency in various industries through a significant reduction of vehicle fuel costs, and minimized environmental impacts. 

The meeting participants discussed the development prospects for the Russian gas vehicle market with due regard of the Concept of Russia’s long-term and socioeconomic development until 2020 and the Guidelines for the Russian Government’s work until 2012. Particular attention was paid to the legislative and regulatory support and stimulation of utilizing gas as a vehicle fuel.

The meeting addressed the progress in switching Sochi’s motor vehicles to gas. As it was pointed out, this task was among the prioritized measures to sanitize the environment by the 2014 Olympic Games.

The practice of applying natural gas as a vehicle fuel was also considered in the agricultural and railroad sectors. A special focus was placed on the practice of utilizing mobile NGV refuellers (MNGVR) to fill agricultural automotive equipment, which proved the MVGVR ability to manage the problem of filling a great number of vehicles far away from highways. It was pointed out that utilization of gas turbines allowed to considerably decrease energy consumption in the railroad sector.

The meeting participants were informed on the results of the Rostov-on-Don – Krasnodar – Novorossiysk – Sochi CNG vehicle rally that took place from April 20 to 24, 2009.

During the 10th anniversary meeting of the Russian National Gas Vehicles Association (NGVRUS) Oleg Aksyutin quoted the welcoming speech of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee addressed to NGVRUS.

“From the first days of its inception the Association has been active in promoting the Russian NGV market and advocating the interests of its players. Special attention should be paid to its activities aimed at introducing legislative initiatives both on the federal and regional level. The recurrent CNG vehicles rallies arranged by the Association in cooperation with Gazprom vividly demonstrate the advantages of the natural gas used as a vehicle fuel.” says the speech.

Background:

The Commission for Natural and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Vehicles of the Russian Federation Government was established in 1994. The Commission includes representatives of leading ministries and departments. In 2003 the identical Commission was set up by the Russian Gas Society. The Commission comprises representatives of governors of the Russian Federation constituents. Both Commissions are primarily responsible for the decision-making and recommendations on legislative, organizational and sci-tech aspects surrounding the conversion of motor vehicles and agricultural equipment to natural gas.

The Russian fleet of natural gas vehicles is estimated at about 130,000 units. Currently, there are 226 CNG filling stations operational in 60 Russian regions, with 198 facilities owned by Gazprom. The aggregate design capacity of CNG stations is around 2 billion cubic meters a year.

In 2008 Russian CNG stations sold over 321 million cubic meters of gas. As a result, in 2008 Russian companies using CNG for their motor vehicles saved more than RUB 3.7 billion, and atmospheric emissions shrank 117 tons.

In 2007 Gazprom approved the Targeted Comprehensive Program for the CNG Filling Network and NGV Fleet Development over 2007 to 2015. The Program stipulates:

- constructing a further 200 CNG stations in Russia at the expense of Gazprom;

- increasing the Russian fleet of natural gas vehicles by 50 thousand units in areas with new CNG stations;

- boosting gas production for natural gas vehicles by 2.7 billion cubic meters a year;

- equipping all federal and regional motorways with CNG stations;

- deploying 90 new mobile NGV refuellers;

- creating 1,700 workplaces;

- reducing pollutant emissions by 960 thousand tons a year (CO as a reference point)

There are 48 CNG stations constructed in the Southern Federal District, 12 of which are in the Krasnodar Krai.

In 2008, 23.2 million cubic meters of gas was sold in the region, which makes up 7 per cent of the total gas volume sold by Russian CNG stations in Russia.