NGV manufacturersentering Asia

Volume 1 Number 7 October 2006

ThailandSecond ANGVAconference & exhibition

IndiaMoving towardsHCNG technology

October 20062

Summary

04 NGVs line up in Asia

A brief description of NGV assortmentand market potentials for vehicle manufacturers in several Asian countries...

12 OEM and dealer fittedNGVs

NGV models availability in Australia,China, Korea, Japan, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, and Thailand...

18

21 Subsidy on CNG busesin Pakistan

22 Opinion and feedbackfrom CNG taxi drivers

23 Abu Dhabi sets NGV target for 2012

24 LNG vehicle market is "starting"

26 Take-off of LNG vehicles in China

29 ANGVA 2007 will take placein Bangkok

35 NGV statistics: currentand targeted numbers

We print and mail to 24 countries about 4,000copies addressed to government related offices,private and public vehiclefleets, OEMs and Oil & Gascompanies, associations,refuelling stations, workshop and suppliers,and companies related toNGV industry, according tothe following list:

Armenia: 1.0%Australia: 4.5%Azerbaijan: 0.2%Bangladesh: 5.5%China: 12.5%

Egypt: 5.0%India: 9.0%Indonesia: 4.0%Iran: 6.0%Israel: 0.5%Japan: 9.0%Korea: 12.5%Malaysia: 6.0%Myanmar: 0.5%New Zealand: 2.0%Pakistan: 8.5%Philippines: 2.0%Russia: 1.5%Singapore: 3.0%Taiwan: 0.5%Turkey: 4.0%United Arab Emirates: 2.0%Vietnam: 0.3%

Thailand: 1,000 copiesIn addition, the magazine isaccessible to 16,400 more e-readers in 94 countries as itis available online inwww.asiangv.com. If your business is in Asia,advertise with us.

Asian NGV Communications300-5, Changchon-Ri,Namsan-Myun,Chuncheon-Si, Kangwon-Do,200-911, KOREATel: +31 23 562 2582Tel: +82 33 260 3419asia@ngvgroup.comwww.asiangv.com

Copies Distribution

Thailand: NGV history, busfleet experiences and projects

Asian NGV Communications is a publicationof NGV Communications Group, publishinghouse and fairs-conferences organizer: www.ngvgroup.comIn Europe, we print The Gas Vehicles Report,GVR, and www.ngvguide.com, theInternational NGV Guide. In Argentina, the Group publishes PrensaVehicular, Argentine CNG Guide, maps,books and brochures while in Brazil, Folhado GNV, Brazilian NGV Guide, maps andposters, among others. More info: www.ngvgroup.comThe signed articles are exclusive responsibility ofthe authors, as well as advertising companies andagencies are responsible for the published ads.

300-5, Changchon-Ri ■ Namsan-MyunChuncheon-Si ■ Kangwon-Do ■ 200-911Tel. and fax.: +82 33 260 3419

+31 23 562 2582asia@ngvgroup.com ■ www.asiangv.com

is member of the ANGVA (Asia Pacific NGV Association)

16 India moving towards HCNGvehicles and more

CNG vehicle market in India will beenriched with CNG locomotive andhydrogen-CNG vehicle...

October 20064

In the Asian market, OEM NGV availability is not seen as an issue yet asmany countries are still focusing onconversion market. However, nowadaysOEMs enter the NGV market moreactively as many vehicle owners look forremedies from the skyrocketing fuelcosts. And they found the answer inNGVs.

The OEM and dealer-fittedselections

Eastern AsiaIn the domestic market, China hasthirteen producers of dedicated CNGvehicles which are mainly producingbuses and trucks, and eleven manufacturers of dual fuel and bi-fuelvehicles. There are at least sixty-onemodels available for domestic sales,and many more for export and militaryvehicle purposes. With 45% of the NGVmarket share OEM made, China’sassortments cover tuk-tuks, passengercars, buses, etc.

Japan OEMs offer both LDVs andHDVs, whereas 98% of NGVs in thiscountry is OEM products. Fourteencompanies join the market with a selection of 50 models consisting ofnine passenger cars/vans, sixteen delivery and/or garbage trucks, sevenbuses, three models of working vehiclesand six assortments of forklifts. Isuzu N-Series CNG light-duty truckseven made the company history whenits total sales hit 5,000 units in July2003 in Japan. As for CNG trucks,Isuzu and Nissan-Diesel are the mainmanufacturers at present. The numbers of delivery and garbagetrucks are increasing due to sufficientsubsidies for the introduction of thosevehicles. Conversely, the cost of introducing small NGVs is more expensive than that of trucks. Thus, the availability of the LDVs models is more limited.

But the future of this industry is quitepromising, as Mr. Hiroshi Kujirai fromJapan Gas Association stated, "I think in the near future NGV is desirable to OEMs because the manufacturing cost may decrease asthe number of yearly production will increase."

Korea has two established CNG busmanufacturers, Daewoo and Hyundai,while Tata Daewoo focuses on CNGtrucks. Another company, Shinjeon, isgoing to introduce CNG sweeper.Daewoo Bus and Tata Daewoo areworking on the development of one busand one 11 litre-tractor; both to bepowered by LNG.Despite of few LDVsconverted for research purposes, 100%of the NGVs in Korea are OEM made.Also Doosan manufactures and exportsCNG engines for heavy-duty vehicles.

Southern AsiaFive passenger cars and one pick-upare available for NGV lovers in Iran. Thetwo main companies working in the fieldare Iran Khodro Co. and Saipa/SaipaGroup. Meanwhile, Pakistan has nineversions of NG low-duty vehicles madeby five carmakers. Two CNG Chevroletcars are under trial.

NGV selection in India ranges from tuk-tuks, passenger cars, to buses.Many of those are equipped with factory or dealer-fitted CNG kits, suchas compact car Santro (Hyundai Motor),Mitsubishi Lancer (Mitsubishi andHindustan Motor), Indica (Telco), andIndigo Marina (Tata Motors). Tata Motors dominate CNG bus marketin New Delhi as its products account for60% share in the public bus fleet. Soon, it will launch CNG Ace truck.Several CNG versions of vehicles areprepared to be introduced: Ford Ikon,Chevrolet Tavera, DaimlerChrysler’sMerc, and a bi-fuel two-wheeler fromBAL. Mahindra & Mahindra is interested

in joining the CNG market for its bus,commercial vehicles and three-wheelerswhile Atul Auto plans to produce a CNG mini truck.

South-Eastern Asia and the PacificAustralia, Indonesia, Malaysia haveseveral OEM HD-NGVs while low-dutyNGVs are available in Thailand (pleasesee a note below).

Market potentialsUAE has just started an NGV projectwith fuelling station and cars conversionprograms. OEM NGVs are expected toenter this market. The municipalities ofJakarta city in Indonesia plan to convert their public transport to NGVfleets. So far, old tuk-tuk will bereplaced by imported CNG tuk-tuksfrom India. About 98% NGVs inThailand are LDVs, whereas only twocompanies are providing Low-DutyNGVs. Yantia Shuchi Vehicle Co. fromChina plans to invest about Euro 842Mduring the next 10 years to set up amanufacturing plant of NGV buses inThailand. To support the success ofmarketing their NGVs, investment in NGfuelling station is also being reviewed.Many automakers are planning to enterthe NGV market both for LDVs andHDVs. More OEMs are welcome in thiscountry. Many other Asian countries arestill in the car conversion markets dueto cost consideration of switching thefleets to NGVs and/or lack of OEMs.

Note: See in this edition a list of NGVmodels available in Asia: "OEM and factory-fitted NGVs".

NGVs line up in Asia

Daewoo bus with Doosan CNG engine

October 20066

CNG bus in Beijing city in China

October 20068

October 2006 9

October 200610

Di Asia, keberadaan kendaraan berbahan bakar gas alam (NGV) buatanpabrik mobil asli (OEM) tidak dipandangsebagai suatu masalah karena banyaknegara masih berfokus pada pasar konversi. Tetapi akhir-akhir ini banyakOEM memasuki pasar Asia secara aktifkarena penduduk mencari kendaraanalternatif untuk mengurangi beban darimeroketnya harga bahan bakar. Dan mereka menemukan jawabannya diNGVs.

Koleksi OEM dan dealer konversi

Asia TimurDi pasar domestik, Cina mempunyai 13pabrik pemroduksi kendaraan berbahanbakar gas alam (CNG), yang manasebagian besar memasarkan bis dantruk. Sebelas OEM memproduksikendaraan dual fuel (menggunakanbahan bakar diesel dan CNG) dan bi-fuel (menggunakan bahan bakarbensin atau CNG). Sekitar 61 modeltersedia di pasar domestik, dan masihbanyak model lagi tersedia untuk keperluan militan dan eksport. Sekitar45% pasar NGV adalah buatan OEMyang terdiri dari bajaj, sedan, bis, dll.

OEM-OEM Japan memasarkankendaraan bermesin kecil (LDV) dankendraan bermesin besar (HDV), yangmana 98% NGVs di negara ini adalahbuatan OEM. Empat belas perusahaanmenyediakan 50 model NGV yang terdiri dari 9 sedan/van, 16 truk, 7 bis,9 kendaraan special termasuk fork-lift.Isuzu N-Series CNG light-duty truckbahkan didokumentasikan di sejarahperusahaan ketika penjualan truk inimencapai 5,000 unit pada July 2003 diJapan. Di sektor truk CNG, Isuzu danNissan-Diesel adalah produser utamapada saat ini. Jumlah model truk meningkat banyakbeberapa tahun ini karena model inimendapat subsidi yang cukup kuat daripemerintah. Di lain pihak, harga introduksi NGV kecil jauh lebih tinggidaripada perkenalan truk. Oleh karenaitu, pilihan model LDV terbatas.

Tetapi masa depan industri ini sangatlahmenjanjikan seperti yang dikemukakanoleh Hiroshi Kujirai dar Japian GasAssociation, "Menurut saya tidak lama

lagi produksi NGV sangatlah menarikbagi OEM karena harga produksi akanmenurun sejalan dengan meningkatnyajumlah produksi per tahun."

Korea mempunyai dua produsen bisCNG, Daewoo dan Hyundai. Di lainpihak, Tata Daewoo memproduksi trukCNG. Sedangkan Shinjeon akan memperkenalkan kendaraan penyapujalan dengan CNG. Daewoo Bus danTata Daewoo sedang mengembangkansatu model bus dan 11 liter-traktorberbahan bakar LNG. Di sampingbeberapa LDVs yang dikonversikan kekendaraan CNG untuk R&D, 100% dariNGVs di Korea adalah buatan OEM. Di bidang mesin CNG, Doosan mempro-duksi mesin untuk HDV (bis dan truk).

Asia SelatanLima model sedan dan satu pick-uptersedia bagi pencinta NGV di Iran. Iran Khodro Co. dan Saipa/Saipa Groupadalah perusahaan yang memproduksiNGVs di negara ini. Pakistan mempunyai 9 versi NG LDVs yangdibuat oleh lima OEM. Dua ChevroletCNG sedang dalam percobaan.Koleksi NGV di India terdiri dari tuk-tuk,sedan, bahkan bis. Sebagian besar darikendaraan-kendaraan ini dilengkapidengan CNG kits (paket konversi CNG)yang dipasang di dealer. Contohnyaadaalha sedan Santro (Hyundai Motor),Mitsubishi Lancer (Mitsubishi danHindustan Motor), Indica (Telco), danIndigo Marina (Tata Motors). TataMotors mendominasi 60% pasar bisCNG di bidang transport umum di NewDelhi. Perushaan ini akan mengeluarkankoleksi baru truk CNG Ace tidak lamalagi. Model-model baru juga akan diluncurkan: Ford Ikon, ChevroletTavera, DaimlerChrysler’s Merc, dan abi-fuel dua roda dari BAL. Mahindra &Mahindra berencana untuk memasuki

pasar CNG dengan koleksi bis,kendaraan pengangkut barang, dankendaraan tiga rodanya. Atul Auto akanmemproduksi truk mini CNG.

Asia Tenggara dan Pasifik Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia memilikibeberapa OEM HD-NGVs sedangkanlow-duty NGVs tersedia di Thailand(baca artikel "OEM and dealer-fittedNGVs" di majalah ini).

Pasar potensialUAE baru saja memulai sebuah proyekNGV dengan program tank stasion dankonversi mobil. OEM NGV juga diharapkan untuk memasuki pasar ini.Pemerintah daerah kota Jakarta diIndonesia berencana untuk mengonversi armada transpor umummenjadi armada NGV. Sejauh ini, bajajtua telah diganti dengan CNG bajajimport dari India. Sekitar 98% NGVs diThailand adalah LDVs, sedangkanhanya dua perusahaan Low-DutyNGVs. Yantia Shuchi Vehicle Co. dariChina berencana untuk menginvestasikan Euro 842 M dalam10 tahun mendatang untuk mendirikansebuah pabrik bis NGV di Thailand.Untuk menyuport strategi merekadalam memasarkan NGVs, investasi dibidang tank stasiun juga sedang dianalisa. Banyak OEM berencanauntuk memasuki pasar ini di Thailand,dengan koleksi LDV dan HDV mereka.Perusahaan mobil berbahan bakar gasalam diharapkan untuk turut berpartisipasi di pasar ini. Banyaknegara Asia lainnya masih beradadalam bidang konversi berdasarkanpertimbangan finansial dalam penggantian armada kendaraan keNGVs dan/atau karena OEM NGV tidaktersedia di negara-negara tersebut.Catatan: Lihat juga list OEM and dealer-fitted NGVs di majalah ini.

Koleksi NGVs di Asia

Volvo 8500LE CNG

October 2006 11

October 200612

OEM and dealer fitted NGVsBrand NGV models Remarks

Iveco Acco 8x4 rigid truck with CumminsWesport C Gas Plus (8.3l) engines

Isuzu Isuzu CNG NPR 400 Light Truck Truck

Biyadi Automobile Co., Ltd Biyadi QCJ7160A/CNGChery SQR7160E/CNGChery SQR7162A15/CNGChery SQR7200/CNG

Chongqing Chanan SuzukiAutomobile Co., Ltd Chanan SC7130B

Dongfeng EQ102H15QAC Bi-fuel light-duty truckDongfeng EQ6490H15QACcommercial car

Dongfeng Citroen DC7163MANDongfeng Citroen DC7163RANShenlong Fukang DC7142RDNShenlong Fukang DC7142EDNShenlong Fukang DC7142EAN

Dongfeng Yueda Kia AutomobileCo., Ltd Kia YQZ7130CNG

FAW Hongqi CA7180G4Jetta FV7160CiF.CJetta FV7160CiX.CJetta FV7160CiX/CNGJetta FV7160CiF.CJetta FV7160GiX.CJetta FV7160CiX/CNG

Shanghai Volkswagen AutomobileCo., Ltd Santana SVW7180Kei

Jinbei SY6483LT1Jinbei SY6483LT2Zhonghua SY7200TVela CA7156UMVela CA7166UMXiali TJ7101AULMXiali TJ7101AUMXiali TJ7101BLMXiali TJ7101BUMXiali TJ7101UM

Anhui Hualing Automobile(Group)Co., Ltd

Hualing Star HN4180PT23C4M CNGTractor Dedicated CNG tractor

Beijing Bus General Plant Jinghua BK6141CNG Hinge JointedCity Bus

Changjiang CJ6110G3Y7H Bus

Changjiang CJ6110SG2Y7H DoubleDecker Bus

Changjiang CJ6110SG2YH DoubleDecker Bus

Changjiang CJ6120G2Y7H Bus

Chongqing Jiangchuan AutomobileManufacturing Co. Ltd Chuanjiang CJQ6790KCS Bus

Dongfeng Automobile Co., Ltd Dongfeng EQ6830RACN BusChassis(Class 3)*

Dongfeng EQ6111RCDN BusChassis(Class 3)

Dongfeng EQ6122KS BusChassis(Class 3)

Dongfeng EQ1165F TruckDongfeng EQ1165K2 TruckDongfeng EQ1140GL1 TruckDongfeng EQ1140GL TruckDongfeng EQ1250GL2 TruckDongfeng EQ1250GL3 TruckDongfeng EQ6590PC1 BusDongfeng EQ6590PC BusJiefang CA1127L5A CNG TruckJiefang CA1150P1L1A80 CNG Truck

Jiefang CA6101D92-9 BusChassis(Class 3)

JiefangCA6110D118-1T BusChassis(Class 3)

JinlngJLY6101SA CNG DoubleDecker Bus

JinlngJLY6101SB CNG DoubleDecker Bus

Shanqi SX4254BK294T Tractor Dedicated CNG tractorShanqi SX6112F Luxury City Bus Dedicated CNG busShanqi SX6112C City Bus Dual fuel bus

Shanghai Huizhong AutomobileManufacturing Co., Ltd SHAC SH4251A4B31K Tractor Dedicated CNG tractor

Yaxing-Benz Motor Coach Co.,Ltd Yaxing YBL6110GNH BusChassis(Class 3) Dedicated CNG bus

Yantia Shuchi Vehicle Co NGV buses

The company was reported to have120 models of NGV vehiclesexported to Europe, Japan,Bangladesh and Pakistan

Yuchai Diesel Engine Co.,Ltd For export purposes

Yuejin Automobile(Group)Co., Ltd Yuejin NJ67001M5EG BusChassis(Class 3) Dedicated CNG bus

Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co.,Ltd

Dedicated CNG buses

Dedicated CNG trucks

Dedicated CNG buses

Dedicated CNG trucks

Dedicated CNG buses

ChinaLDVs

HDVs

Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd

Dongfeng Nanchong AutomobileCo., Ltd

First Auto Works (FAW)

Nanjing Jinling Double- deckerBus Plant

Changzhou Iveco Bus Co., Ltd

Shaanxi Automobile (Group) Co.,Ltd

FAW Volkswagen Automobile Co.,Ltd

Dual fuel buses

Bi-fuel cars

Bi-fuel cars

HDV

Australia

Shenyang Brilliance Jinbei Co.,Ltd

Dongfeng Peugeot CitroenAutomobile Co., Ltd

Chery Automobile Co., Ltd

Dongfeng Automobile Co., Ltd

Brand NGV models Remarks

Australia

China

As many people are looking for alternative vehicles to "ease"their pocket from the sky-rocketing petroleum prices, thequestion of which alternative vehicle one should take cameinto their mind. Is it now (economically) wise to switch toNGVs? An example of a good answer came from India. In thiscountry, driving a CNG or bi-fuel car is highly recommended ifyou drive more than 50 km/day or if you have a taxi fleet witha large mileage.

This recommendation is based on investment pay-back period from installing CNG kit which is about Rs 50.000/car.With a mileage of 40-50 km/day, the pay back period isaround two-three years. After that, will come the saving from the differences of petro-leum fuel cost versus CNG price, of which calculation isbased on today's price differences only.

A good move economically speaking, especially if you have ataxi fleet with a large mileage or even operating natural gasHDVs. Installing CNG kits in authorised dealers in India whichare appointed by the vehicle manufacturers allows you tokeep all vehicle warranty for the conversion plus the originalwarranty given by the manufacturers.

No more worries about whether the car will perform properlyor not. Also, there is no welding involved and no fundamentalchanges to the body structure. Chevrolet, which will launch itsOptra CNG version this year, will guarantee the quality of theCNG systems for 3 years [36 months] or up to 100,000 kmfrom the date of its installation.

In the bajaj sector, India CNG auto rickshaw has even madeits debut in Brighton city in the UK, in last summer. About 100more units will be imported from India by end 2006 to bedemonstrated in London and other major British andEuropean cities.

In Thailand, Chevrolet will introduce Optra bi-fuel passengercar with dealer-fitted CNG equipment which will be doneunder the supervision of GM engineers; a QVM product. The version of factory-fitted (OEM) will be coming soon byend of 2006. Due to tax reduction policy given by Thai government, the company will be able to sell the OEM versioncheaper than the Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) version.

NGV availability in AsiaBrand NGV models Remarks

Daewoo BS090 9 m city bus: 24+1 seatsBS106 10.6 m city bus: 26+29+1 seatsBH115 11.5 m Inter city bus: 45+1BC211M 11 m Low floor bus: 29+28+1BV120MA (12 m) 12 m Low floor bus : 25-45 seats

BS120CN (12 m) 12 m Ultra low floor bus: 25-44seats

LNG bus In development (for demonstrationproject)

Tata Daewoo CommercialVehicles Co., Ltd Garbagetruck (Roll Pack) 19.3 _

Garbage truck (Arm Roll) 11 Ton (Payload)

11 litre-LNG tractor In development (for demonstrationproject)

Hyundai Aero City City bus: 21+1 seatsAero Inter City City bus: 38+1 seatsAero Inter City City bus: 45+1 seatsAero City Bus de GNV Low-floor bus: 27+1 seats

Shinjeon Sweeper To be launched

HDVsKoreaBrand NGV models Remarks

Korea

Notes1 The above China OEM list only includes those NGVs whichmust be registered to get plate licenses according to China'slaw. Except for Yantia Shuchi Vehicle Co. and Yuchai DieselEngine Co.,Ltd., the list does not include those manufactur-ers and NGV models that are not inquired to be registered,such as vehicles for military use or for export purpose.However, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Dongfeng NanchongAutomobile Co.,Ltd., and Nanjing Jinling Bus Co.,Ltd selltheir NGV products in domestic and abroad markets too.2 Hindustan Motors, General Motors and Tata Motors madean agreement with CNG installation specialists who performthe installation of CNG kits at the dealers.3 CNG buses are imported from overseas.4John Thomson, Vice President of Sales, Marketing andAftersales for Chevrolet Sales Thailand, stated that an exten-sive testing on Chevrolet Optra has been conducted in reallife driving conditions – covering more than 200,000 km over20 continuous hours per day – without recording a singledefect.5 Bi-fuel two-wheeler CNG with four-stroke engine is import-ed from India (Bajaj Auto) in August. About 250 units of thisvehicle will be operated by October 2006, whereas 15,000units in total are anticipated to ply on Jakarta road.

October 2006 13

Brand NGV models Remarks

Daihatsu Hijet Cargo CNG (LE-S320V) Cargo vanMira Van CNG (GBD-L250V) Van

Mazda Familia van VanMitsubishi Motors Minicab GD-U61V (2WD) CNG van

Nissan-Diesel AD Van CNGV (CEF-VGY11) Emission reductions: 20%-30%less CO2, 50% less NOx

Caravan CNGV (LC-VPE25) VanSuzuki Wagon R (CBA-MH21S)Toyota Probox CNG (DFE-NCP52V)Subaru Legacy TA-BL5 Passenger car

Hino Dutro Delivery & garbage trucksRanger TruckMiddle-size low-floor bus Bus

Isuzu Elf AFG-NKR82AN 2 tonnes delivery & garbage trucksForward PB-FRR35J3S 4 tonnes delivery & garbage trucksForward PB-FRR35K3S 4 tonnes delivery & garbage trucksWagon R (CBA-MH21S) TruckBig-size low-floor bus BusMiddle-size low-floor bus Bus

Mazda Titan AFG-LKR82AN TruckMitsubishi-Fuso Fighter NX Delivery & garbage trucks

Big-size low-floor bus BusCanter KK-FE73CEV Truck

Nissan-Diesel Atlas KR-AKR81EP 2 tonnes truckCondor AFG-BKR82EP 2 tonnes truckCondor PB-MK36A 4 tonnes truckCondor PB-PK37A 7 tonnes truckBig Thumb KL-CD48L 10 tonnes truckBig-size low-floor bus BusMiddle-size low-floor bus BusCivilian KK-BHW41 Small-size low-floor bus

Toyota Dyna Toyoace Delivery truckToyota Dyna Toyoace 7 tonnes truck Truck

Kanto Machine Centre Working vehicleKomatsu Forklift ForkliftMitsubishi Motors ForkliftNissan-Diesel Fighter Working vehicle

ForkliftSubaru Working vehicleSumitomo Yale Forklift CNG 11-FG25PV1 ForkliftTCM TCM ForkliftToyota Forklift

Pak Suzuki Motor Co. Mehran, Alto, Baleno, Bolan, CultusMehranAltoBalenoBolanCultusSuzuki Liana

Indus Motors Co. Ltd. Daihatsu Cuore 800 ccAdam Motors Co. Ltd. Revo 800 ccShahab Enterprises Pervaaz (3 wheeler) 125 ccNexus Autos Chevrolet (under trial) 800 and 1.000 cc

Hino CNG bus

Atul Auto CNG four wheeler In plan: mini truck

One-tonne twee-wheeler Powered by CNG/gasoline; to belaunched

TaveraBi-fuel two-wheeler Planned for 2007

DaimlerChrysler Merc Passenger carFord Ikon Passenger car

General Motors India Chevrolet Optra

Bi-fuel car with 140-150kmcoverage on full fuel tank. Therunning cost is 70% cheaper thanthe gasoline version (Rs.1.92/kmwith CNG vs Rs. 5.20/km withgasoline)

Hindustan Motors Ambassador Passenger car (factory-fittedCNGV)

Hyundai Motors Santro Compact carChampion CNGTempo

Mitsubishi & Hindustan Motor Lancer Passenger car with 1,5 litre engine(factory-fitted CNGV)

Maruti Udyong Ltd Omni 5-seater CNG

Tata Engineering and LocomotiveCompany Ltd Indica

Tata Motors Indigo Marina

Tata Motors CNG bus BusAce truck To be launched

800, 1.000, 1.200, and 1.300 cc

HDV

CNG three-wheelersMahindra & Mahindra

LDVs

HDVs

Japan

Pakistan

Specialty vehicle

LDVs

India 2

Bajaj Auto

HDV

LDVs

Bi-fuel passenger car, BS IIIcompliant (Bharat stage III isIndia's emission standard)

Brand NGV models Remarks

Japan

Pakistan

India 2

Brand NGV models Remarks

LDVs

Thailand 3

Indonesia 5

Malaysia

Natural gas engines

For LDVsProton & Petronas Proton CNG E01 Under development, passenger car

engine with 1,8 - 2,2 litre

Malaysia

8,1 litre Dedicated CNG Engine (240ps, 260ps),

12 litre Dedicated CNG Engine (290ps, 310ps, 340ps)

For HDVs Doosan Infracore Co., Ltd GE08TI

GE12TI

KoreaKorea

Malaysia

Brand NGV models Remarks

Samand D class, 1.800 cc, passenger carPeugeot 405 C class, 1.800 cc, passenger carPeugeot RD C class, 1.600 cc, passenger carPeykan 1.600 cc, pick-up

Saipa Pride C class, 1.400 cc, passenger car

Saipa Group (Zamyad subsidiaryCo.) Zamyad 2.400 cc, pick up

DaimlerChrysler Mercedes E200 NGT Bi-fuel passenger car

Chevrolet Optra Sedan bi-fuel 1,6litre

Chevrolet Optra Estate bi-fuel 1,6litre

Honda Expected to enter the marketMonika CNG tuk-tukToyota Motor Thailand Co., Ltd. Car and van In planVolvo (S80) Expected to enter the market

Chevrolet Colorado dual fuelIn plan: pick-up truck to run on80% CNG and 20% diesel. Can beswitched to 100% diesel.

Isuzu Low-duty to Heavy-duty trucks In planSummitr Motors Assembly of CNG buses and trucks

Yantia Shuchi Vehicle Co NGV bus(es) In plan: opening an NG bus plantand investment in fuelling facility

Daewoo CNG city bus Bus

Kosmo Motor Company Sdn Bhd Kosmo Bus

LDVs

Iran

HDV

Thailand 3

HDV

To be launched in 2006. Bothmanual and automatictransmissions.

Indonesia 5

MalaysiaHDV

LDVs

General Motors4

Iran Khodro Co.

Brand NGV models Remarks

Iran

Thailand 3

Indonesia 5

Malaysia

Samand bi-fuel Tata Indigo Marina CNG three-wheelers

October 200614

OEM NGV Price Advantage

Hyundai Super Aero CNG city bus Mercedes-Benz E200 NGT Daewoo Low Step

Pass these charts on… Help your country to have a cleaner air

The first and second charts whichwere originally made by Daewoo andHyundai were modified as the fuelprices change over time. The 2004and 2005 diesel and CNG priceswere previously in US$.We converted them into Euro withcurrent currency rate of US$1= Euro0.835446. However, main data, suchas fuel consumption, remain thesame as it was used as a reference inthe calculation above.In the comparison 2004-2006 chart,

you can see that using a CNG buscould be more and more profitablesince diesel price continues to increasea lot while CNG price either increased alittle or even decrease (2005-2006).

You can calculate your country priceadvantage by using your local fuelprices. The data that you can use foryour calculation is as follows:Set a mileage, for example,90,000km/year;Fuel consumption for Daewoo bus:

2.8km per litre diesel and per m3CNG;Fuel consumption for Hyundaibus: 2.3 km/litre diesel and2.1km/m3 CNG; Use your currentCNG and diesel prices: current fuelprice x (90,000/fuel consumption).Fuel savings may vary for each country as fuel prices (and fuel energy contents) also vary.Show the comparison chart aboveto your government and local public transport companies,…andbuy CNG buses.

October 200616

As world’s second most populated country, India could beconsidered as one of the most promising markets, especiallyconsidering the fact that in 2050, this country is predicted tobecome the most populated country in the world with 1,6 billion inhabitants. In the NGV industry in Asia, India occupiesthe second place with about 250,000 NGVs and 200 CNGrefuelling stations. And it does not stop there!

Several dual fuel locomotives are also being used since April2005 in a trial project run by Indian Railways. Seven moreunits will be added by the end of this year. According to thedirector of Indraphrasta Gas, 20 dual fuel locomotives areanticipated on city roads by 2007.

Answering the local and several other markets needs forsmall public vehicles with cheap fuel cost, undisrupted fuellingpossibility and offer of high safety standard, Bajaj Auto produces a three-wheeler with four-stroke engine which canrun on both CNG and gasoline and has a "bursting disc". Thisdisc acts as a safety valve and releases gas into atmosphereif the pressure of the gas in the cylinder exceeds 300kg/cm3.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) haspresented a proposal for a pilot project to test vehicles fuelledby hydrogen and CNG (HCNG) in New Delhi. It is expectedthat both commercial and private vehicles will be involved in

this project. Early on, Ratan Tata of Tata Motors and AnandMahindra of Mahindra and Mahindra had proposed the project in 2005. They concluded that using HCNG blends isa better transition step to take rather than switching immediately to hydrogen vehicles (H2Vs).As for fuelling facility, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) set upthe first HCNG station in India near Faridabad city in 2005,offering a blend of 10% hydrogen and 90% CNG instead ofthe other options of 5%-30% hydrogen blend.

India moving towards Hydrogen-CNG vehicles and more

The famous Taj Mahal in India

October 200618

With a 20-year experience in naturalgas vehicles programme, Thailand hasnow become one of the leading NGVcountries in Asia. Thanks to its stronggovernment support and excellentattempt from PTT PLC., the nationalenergy company in Thailand, this country is considered as the mostpromising country where many NGVsuppliers are focusing its sales effort.

The history-PTT with BMTAThe history of NGV activities was started in 1984 when New Zealandgovernment approached Thailand touse NGVs. In 1991, Thailand government raised some issues onsmoke and traffic jam. They approved a400M baht of funding for BangkokMass Transit Authority (BMTA) to buy200 CNG buses. Two years later, BMTAbought 82 buses of which 44 unitswere MAN products purchased at4,625 M baht/bus, and 38 units of5,510M baht/bus of Mercedes. Due tothe change of methane (CH4) content inthe gas supply from the beginning at80% to 68%-72%, and both CNGengines required 80% of CH4.Mercedes engines had been modifiedto accommodate the new level ofmethane content in the gas supplywhile MAN engines had not been done.Consequently, the 44 MAN buses wereoperated in 5 years only, but the 38units of Mercedes buses are still runningfrom beginning of the project up to nowthat will be almost 15 years.

As oil price increases very rapidly, whichbrings Thailand into trade deficit, CNGcame into the picture more than otheralternative fuels since 2000. Crude Oilimport value in 2004 was US$12,165 Mwhile in 2005 the value was US$16,040 M. It was 130% increase ofcrude oil import value. Other fueloptions such as bio-diesel and gasoholis not the answer to this present fuelchallenge as it takes a long time to produce these “vegetable” fuels. Thai people need to plant palm andtapioca trees for several years beforethey can produce these fuels. With natural gas, the government helpsthis country to decrease crude oilimport and energy expenses. NG hasbecome “the fuel of choice”.

All eyes on Thailand: NGV history, busfleet experiences, and current projects

Nuttachat Charuchinda Yook Jarupome

October 2006 19

The performance and costadvantageA team from King Mongkut InstitutionUniversity had compared the performance of one MAN and oneMercedes CNG buses with a unit ofdiesel bus. Below are the results.

Emission test NG buses Diesel bus1. Emissions• CO (g/km) 0,80 13,11• NOx (g/km) 11,6 18,26• HC (g/km) 5,52 1,512. PM level (g/km) 0,027 0,9653. Noise level (dBA) 80,9 86,4

Cons. level, 2006 NG buses Diesel bus1. Mileage 1,3 km/kg 1,85 km/litre2. Fuel consumption 0,77 kg/km 0,54 litre/km3. Fuel price 6,55 baht/kg 13,89 baht/litre

(@ 8.50 baht/kg) (@ 25.718 baht/l)

The maintenanceDuring the first 10 years of the NGbuses operation, BMTA signed 10 yearsmaintenance service contracts withBerleyucker Company for MAN busesat 1,721 Baht/bus/day and ThonburiBus Body Company for Mercedesbuses at 1,496 Baht/bus/day. The contract covered to a “big” maintenance services for every 10,000km, repaint bus body for every twoyears and also daily services such asengine checking, radiator water refilling,engine and lubricating oil refilling, tireschecking etc.

ChallengesThere were two problems that BMTAhad to cope with in the past. The firstwas the instability of methane contentin the gas supply which varies from

68%-72%. Nowadays, the gas quality is stabled with CH4 level at 76%.However, some OEM buses requiredhigher percentage of methane. PTT isworking actively to improve its gas quality.

The second was not enough number ofNG stations for buses. BMTA’s privaterefuelling site has 6 dispensers in NorthBangkok, which serves its whole CNGbus fleet. This station was built in 1993by PTT and NKK Engineering Thailand.PTT has invested 62M baht in this station. It takes about 6 minutes to refu-el a bus there, which BMTA’s CNG busdrivers claimed as “a very quick refuelling facility”.

Nowadays, BMTA is expecting to havemore refuelling facilities as its busesserved many areas in Bangkok city of

1,600 m2 and its surrounding 5provinces. The regular mileage of eachbus is 260 km/day, in which it is beingrefuelled every evening with a capacityof 185.7 kg CNG/bus/day. With newgovernment project to expand BMTA’sfleet, there is a big potential that PTT willbuild more stations to serve this bus fleet.

Current BMTA projectsTwo new "clean" vehicle projects havebeen announced lately. Those include:

To change the engine of air-conditioned buses. There are 1,477buses expected to be re-powered intoCNG vehicles. PTT will provide the funding and BMTA will return the loan

through the differences of gas price,whereas BMTA will need to pay about15,5 baht/kg instead of the normal retailprice which is set at 8.5 baht/kg. The cost of re-powering is estimated at1,2 M baht/bus. It is anticipated that ina 5-year period, the loan will be fullypaid-back;

Thai government will buy 2,000 NGbuses for BMTA by mid 2007.

Mr Yook Jarupume, BMTA DeputyManager, stated "With these twoprojects, we hope that Return ofInvestment (ROI), including therecovering of maintenance costs, willbe quicker and better".

October 200620

NGV current situationThailand has a plenty of indigenous natural gas reserve, about 75% of thegas utilization in the country comes fromits own reserve and the rest fromMyanmar. Due to this active effort fromTANGV, PTT and government, there arecurrently almost 20,000 NGVs operating which consist of 7,200 taxis,140 buses, 290 trucks, and the rest arepersonal low-duty vehicles.

The CNG pricing strategyPTT has set CNG price at 8.50 Baht perkg up to the end of 2007 and after thatthe price has been planned to be gradually increased but not higher than50% of diesel retail price. This announcement ensures that theeconomic benefit in using CNG will bedelivered to CNG loyalists for good.

Delivery problems"We want to build more NG stationsthan we planned, but the contractorstake many months to bring in all ofthose equipments to Thailand," said Mr.Nuttachat Charuchinda, Executive VicePresident, Natural Gas Vehicles, PTTPlc. "Delivery of CNG refuelling equipment takes long time. In a way, the(NGV) market is still in the hand of suppliers," added Mrs Weena T.Chaianun, Manager of NGV MarketingPlanning, PTT Plc.

The refuelling facilityPresently, Thailand has 67 NG refuellingstations, 52 units of which are inBangkok and boundary. The refillingCNG time takes about 3 minutes for acar (70 litre of NG cylinder). But there isstill a long queue waiting to refill CNG atstations in downtown. Particularly, atthe time that taxis change their shift,many taxi drivers are obliged to full CNGtank before hand over to other drivers.However, at the end of this year the situation will be very much improvedsince there will be about 200 servicestations by that time.

Current activitiesDue to the promising market in Thailand,many OEMs and equipment companiesbecame confidence enough to enter thismarket and even build plants in thiscountry (see more OEM list in this issueof this magazine). Recently, BangkokMetropolitan Administration (BMA)announced their project with PTT andDepartment of Energy to convert 100units of the company cars to NGVs forthe first phase. Mr. Nikom

Government Support

Besides exempting import duty forvehicle conversion kits and somerefuelling station equipment, Thaigovernment has also launched othersupports to rapidly improve NGV usein the country as follows.

Issuing 2,500 new licenses for TukTuk powered by dedicated NG.Currently, there are 3 OEM Tuk Tukmanufacturers, in which Monikaseems to be the biggest one.

Granting 40M Bath for Heavy dutyvehicle conversion. This will supportto each fleet owner at 70% of thetotal conversion cost but not morethan 400,000 baht per vehicle. Thereare 110 transport companies applyingto this grant. So far, there are 420diesel powered vehicles converting torun on NG.

Exempting import duty for OEMNG engine starting from June 5,2006, previously the duty hadimposed at 30%. Duty for importing

used CNG engine is also exempteduntil May 31, 2008, after that it will beincreased to 10%.

Reducing excise tax for OEM CNGcars from 30% to 20% (the gasolinepowered car is imposed by 30%).Besides this, a CNG converted brandnew car which is converted by carmanufacturers or/and its authorizedworkshop can be reimbursed its conversion cost from government atcost but not more than 50,000 baht.However, the car manufacturer has tomaintain warranty conditions to aconverted CNG car as the originalgasoline car. Consequence to thispolicy, DaimlerChrysler Thailand ispreparing to assemble OEMMercedes E200NGT which is plannedto market by the end of year 2006.While, General Motor takes an optionto maintain warranty conditions forthe converted brand new cars of theirauthorized CNG conversion workshops. Many other OEMs follow.

Waiyaratpanich, the Director of theFinance Department, BMA, stated thatthe conversion will be finalised withinthe end of this month. Evaluation on carperformance especially on energy conservation capabilities will follow theproject to see the possibility of retrofitting more cars in the future, headded. BMA has also constructed CNGfuelling stations in three garbage disposal plants at Tha Raeng, Oon Nut,and Nong Khaem. Two more stationswill be built in the future. PTT is activelyadding NG fuelling amenities, also incollaboration with other gas companies.

The active supporting parties There are two main actors helpingthe government establish a healthy environment for NGV industry: TANGV (Thailand Association for NGV)and PTT, Thai national energy company.Both parties work closely to activelydevelop this industry in Thailand. TANGV aims to set example for othercountries in establishing a good andprofitable environment for this industry. Below are their roles in Thailand:

Increasing natural gas utilization inthe transport sector

Developing consumer confidence inthe safety, durability and efficiency of

NGV engine and equipmentDisseminating information Organization of meetings or

seminarsCoordinating with the vehicle

manufacturers to develop NGV technology for maximum efficiency.

Conducting consumer surveys asfeedback for further development

Coordinating with concerned parties to establish, revise, improveand standardize the rules andregulations on natural gas vehicles

PTT’s strategic implementationapproach

Offering economic advantage to natural gas consumers by offering lowerCNG price compared to other fuels andlow switching cost of vehicles to NGVs;

Expanding NGV population withfocus on high mileage vehicles (e.g. NG buses commercialisation);

Expanding NG service station network along gas distribution pipelines,highways and major cities and industrialestate;

Providing available technology toassure consumers;

Demonstrating the advantages andsafety of NGV usage by comparing toother alternative fuels

October 2006 21

Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi announcedthat the government would give 20 %subsidy on the purchase of new CNGbuses. Presiding over a high-level meeting regarding the promotion of the CNG-run transport inthe province at the Chief Minister’sHouse, he said the Punjab Green FundProgramme was being successfully carried out while the Bank of Punjab,the Small Industries Corporation andthe Punjab Cooperative Bank wereensuring provision of loans for the purchase of CNG rickshaws under thecomprehensive programme.The promotion of CNG transport, hesaid, was improving traffic managementand environment. Diesel-run buses werebeing converted into CNG ones under aphased programme, he added.He directed the officials concerned totake action against the wagons plyingunlawfully on various routes and ensureimplementation of the ban on two-stroke engine rickshaws on theShahra-i-Quaid-i-Azam.

Expressing satisfaction over the greenrickshaw scheme, he said it was producing wholesome effects on theenvironment. It would not only increaseincome of the drivers but also controlpollution. Parking lots for these rickshawswould be fixed at the airport, railway station and at other important places.The government, the chief minister said,would provide additional resources ofRs500 million to the Small IndustriesCorporation for the CNG rickshaw scheme.He said the students would be encouraged to travel by buses as thetraffic problems got intensified duringschool closure hours. And the government would bear subsidy on thepurchase of CNG buses by the privateeducational institutions.He also made it clear that CNG rickshaws would be provided to 100,000applicants in three years in big cities.Earlier, transport secretary AghaNadeem briefed the participants on thepromotion of CNG transport.Punjab Transport Minister Rana

Shamshad Ahmad Khan pointed outthat employment opportunities hadbeen created with the introduction offour-stroke CNG rickshaws. He saidradical changes were being broughtabout in the urban transport system ofthe province in accordance with thechief minister’s directions.

Bahadsai Mosque

Subsidy on CNG busesThe voice from Pakistan

October 200622

Data: Interviewed Taxi Drivers in 2003

NGV Driving Performance

NGV vs Gasoline Poweres Taxis

NGV Driving Performance: Others

Data: Interviewed Taxi Drivers

NGV Driving Performance

Feed back from Taxi drivers

Opinion and feedback fromCNG taxi drivers in Thailand

October 2006 23

In accordance with the United ArabEmirates’ transport and energy policy toswitch to cleaner fuelled vehicles, theauthority in Abu Dhabi city set a targetto convert 20% of government and taxifleets to CNG vehicle fleets by 2012,according to an Environment AgencyAbu Dhabi (EAD) report.In the report, taxis, buses and government-owned vehicles, such asmunicipality and police cars, are identified as the most polluting vehiclesin the UAE. EAD has prepared the 2012implementation strategy together withgovernment agencies and oil companies. Additionally, all governmentdiesel vehicles will have to comply withat least Euro III emission limits by 2012,whereas the sulphur emission of thevehicles must not exceed 10 ppm (particles per million).One public CNG fuelling station wasopened in Mina Street in Abu Dhabi lastJune and one more station is beingconstructed in Dubai, presently. On a national scale, the need of movingtowards clean fuels vehicle is recognised. UAE is one of the world’s

biggest consumers of energy per capita. Accordingly, UAE carbon emissions per capita in year 2000 were9.7 metric tonnes comparing to 5.6metric tonnes in the US. The generalmanager of the International EnergyGroup (IEG), Mr Zeyad Al Majed, statedthat the suppliers, oil and gas companies will get higher profit fromCNG vehicle customers than fromindustrial and utility customers.Customers will gain fuel saving as muchas 30%-40%, at least. As 80% of airpollution in this country is caused byvehicle emission, using CNGVs will alsoimprove air quality a lot.

The cost of converting a car to a highquality CNGV is around Dh 4,500 (Euro957) while investment in fuelling facilitycost about Dh 1,5M (Euro 319,000) fora small station and Dh 4,5M (Euro957,000) for a big unit. Since CNG costis much lower than petroleum fuels, thepayback period for converting a car to aCNGV is around 1 to 1.5 years, taking aconsideration of including 20%-50%maintenance cost. Mr Al Majed

mentioned that government policy is animportant aspect to the implementationof a wide scale CNG fuel programme. Itis expected that the government willprovide leadership as an example andoffer favourable regulations for theindustry.

Abu Dhabi sets NGV target for 2012

1st CNG public fuelling

station in Abu Dhabi

October 200624

If we talk about NGV market in many parts of the world, wenormally refer to CNG vehicle market. However, NGV marketactually also includes LNG, bio-methane (biogas) andHydrogen vehicles. But, these three categories are not commonly adopted yet. For the LNG market, China, Norway,the UK, and the USA are places to learn from, to mentionsome. Nevertheless, with the fuel price and efficiency issue,more Asian countries are starting to invest in this sector.

Benefits of using LNG• LNG is much cheaper and cleaner than petroleum fuels.O2, CO2, sulphur, and water were removed from the fuel during the liquefaction process. It contains almost 100%methane (when natural gas is extracted from a mine, it contains 90% methane). Emissions levels are much lower;

• The vehicle performance, utility and operation is compatible to diesel vehicles;

• The engine life could be longer than diesel and gasolineengines due to its cleaner burning characteristics;

• When using LCNG fuelling station, the maintenance cost islower than running a CNG station, according to PhilippeHeisch from Cryostar SAS. LCNG station requires a cryogenic pump instead of a compressor. Thus, compressormaintenance cost, which is a major cost in keeping a CNGstation, is removed. Electrical cost is also lower as pressuringLNG takes 600 times less space than CNG does;

• LNG offers a more efficient fuelling cycle and the ability to fillboth in, LNG and CNG, from the LNG source;

• Higher fuel economy: due to higher driving range and bigger fuel storage capacity, driving LNGV means creatingbigger saving and emitting lesser pollution;

• Fewer number of fuelling facilities is required as the need torefuel is lower than CNGV.

Some facts• LNG supply is transported to the fuelling station by a vehicle, in spite of transferring it through a pipeline;

• LNG is normally used in heavy-duty vehicles. This allowsintercity transportation to take advantage of LNG benefits;

• LNG vehicles and fuelling stations must be operated bytrained personnel due to the safety issue. LNG is storedbelow freezing temperature (-258°F), thus, it can cause frostbite if it comes into contact with skin. LNG vehicle shouldbe used frequently and stored outside;

• In constructing a fuelling station, a thorough planning isessential. Make sure that all components from different manufacturers match each other so that the station will function properly. You might want to hire a consultant or seekfor advice to avoid having a dysfunctional station (thisoccurred once in the US when a station owner/builderbought components from different companies whereas eachcompany gave a technical plan without matching/checkingtheir product with other components).The existing number of LNG vehicles and fuelling facilities arestill slim. But it is just a start.

LNG vehicle market is "starting"

LNG capacity 2004, IEA and OGJ

The countries

ChinaAbout 230 LNGVs and 3 fuelling stations in Beijing,Changsa and Wurumuqi are in service as per January2006 statistics. All are buses.JapanA pilot LNG fuelling station was constructed in 2001. It has been inactive for 4 years but will be operated againin the near future. As for the vehicle, the government isdeveloping a national R&D project.KoreaThe government and a national gas company havedeveloped a pilot programme to adopt LNGV technology,to prepare supporting regulations and to plan for thecommercialisation of this market. Two LCNG stationsplus one LNG station are already in service. Four vehicles will be demonstrated and studied for thecommercialisation of LNGVs in this country.Involved in the demonstration are two OEM vehicles: anLNG bus and an LNG tractor; and two retrofits: an LNGdual fuel tractor and a CNG cargo truck which will soonbe retrofitted to LNGV. ThailandTo gain higher fuel cost saving, Thailand will start LNGprojects in 2007. This will include the construction ofLNG and mostly LCNG fuelling stations in CentralBangkok city and all provinces: North, North-East, Eastand South regions. LNG plants will be built in severalareas too. As an example, a small LNG plant will beplaced in Rayong with a capacity of 25 MMSCFD(~ 500 tons/day) to supply 22 LCNG stations. This station is targeted to serve 13,700 units HDVs, which willcount for diesel fuel replacement of 700,000 litre/day.

October 200626

Why LNG VehiclesYou need to look at a bigger backdropif you want to well understand the LNGvehicle story in China. Dating back to1998 when China’s vice premier LiLanqing called on to launch a nation-wide Clean Air Project toaddress air pollution caused by varioussources, one of the key programmes inthe project was Clean Vehicle Action.

This programme covers the activities toreduce tailpipe exhaust emissions in thevehicle sector. And the action focusedon the solution with alternative fuel vehicles. Considering the fuel supply,China started with gas vehicles, namelywith CNG and LPG. Up to end of 2005,China has a robust number of NGVswith 127,000 CNG vehicles comparedto 116,430 LPG vehicles.

Obviously the pace of the CNG vehicleadoption is by far more ahead thanthose of LPGVs. But as CNG is usedmainly in buses, some challenges rose:1. Low energy content so that the vehicle can only carry limited volume offuel, thus limit the driving distance;2. High refuelling pressure is needed*;3. Long refuelling time is required;4. Big use of land to establish a refueling station.

As a result, LNGV began to attract people’s attentions. Not only the national clean vehicle program includesLNGV research and demonstration projects, but also several local governments enthusiastically developedand promoted this vehicle. Almost starting from scratch in 2003,nowadays China has more than 230LNG buses operated: 50 in Beijing, 30in Urumchi, 50 in Changsha, and over100 in Guiyang.

Fuel supply In about 10 years, the LNG industry hasmade a great progress with many related technology as equipments werealso substantially developed. In 2001,China’s first small-scale natural gas liquefaction equipment was establishedin Zhongyuan Oil Field with a daily processing capacity of 150,000m3. In 2004, a 1,500,000 m3 LNG plantwas built by Xinjiang Guanghui Co.,Ltd.Another 100,000m3 LNG plantappeared in Shanghai. The first LNG

receiving terminal was launched inShenzhen, an economically developedcoastal city in China’s Guangdongprovince. According to China’s PlanningInstitute of Oil and Chemistry Industry,there would be 30,000,000 tonnes ofLNG imported by 2010. And eleven coastal cities is planning tobuild eleven receiving terminals withannual LNG storage capacity of at least3 million tonnes. This comply with a principle in developing clean alternative fuel vehicles--security of fuel supply is priority.However, currently LNG supply fordemonstration cities is not so convenient as the fuel has to be transported by heavy trucks in a longdistance. Even if the transportation costincluded, the LNG fuel is still competitive

in the local market. Many local transitcompanies take great interest in thisfuel.

Author: Willis Guan, ProgrammeManager CPVC, China

Take-off of LNG vehicles in China

China’s 1st LNG fuelling station in Beijing

Optimistic future attracts more players

Just imagine a meeting hall can notaccommodate all the industry representatives related to LNG vehicleindustry. It really happened inChangsha, capital of Hunan province,where the first big-scale LNG vehicleindustry forum was held in July 2006. There, you found auto companies,engine makers, cylinder makers, gasequipment makers, cryogenic equipment makers, oil companies, aswell as government agencies,research institutes and universities. All the representatives had the opportunity riding urban transitsfuelled by LNG all the way to the

refuelling station. It is quite impressivefor the industry players to see theadvanced LNG refuelling infrastructures in terms of technologyand management. According to theNational Committee for AutoStandardization, a standardizationsystem for LNG vehicle industry hasbeen laid out, concerning the fuel, theinfrastructure, the vehicle and specialequipments. That will help the industry to develop healthily.

Based on what happened and whatis happening, we expect a bright futurefor the LNG vehicle industry in China.

Willis Guan

October 2006 27

October 200628

Do you want to know how you canexpand publicity for your company inthe booming NGV market--Asia? AsianNGV Communications, the only spe-cialised NGV magazine for this regionoffers you the opportunity to boost yourcompany exposure. The editorial istranslated into six languages: Chinese,

Japanese, Korean, Malay, Thai, andEnglish.The magazine is addressed to NGVleaders and top decision-makers in thepublic and private sectors, which alsoinclude suppliers and potential buyers,such as government, public and privatefleets, etc. Being published every two

months, its 3,000 hard copies are distributed to 26 Asian countries including Middle Eastern and Africancountries, and the electronic version ofthis publication is sent to 16.400 NGVcontacts in 94 countries around the world.Please see our editorial list for 2007 belowto see your advert opportunities.

Edition Month released,2007 Deadline Special report Events with massive distribution

9 February February 2nd Country overview:the Asian summary

Fuelling PakistanDawn Exhibition on CNG, LPG,and Alternative Energy16-18 February 2007Karachi, Pakistan

77th International Motor Show8-18 MarchGeneva, Switzerland

10 April March 2nd Fuelling station and vehicle conversion marketin Asia: the most active countries

ExpoGNV 2007MaySan Pablo, Brazil

11 June May 4th Globalisation and harmonisation: vehicle,fuelling station and equipment

13th ENGVA Conference19-21 JuneStrasbourg, France

12 August July 4thThailand: market opportunities for NGV &fuelling station suppliers LNG project reviews inAsia

CNG CONEX 2007SeptemberPakistan

13 October September 4th

The views of OEMs and equipment suppliers:valves, conversion kits, cylinder andcompressor2nd anniversary of the Asian NGVCommunications

2nd ANGVA conference &exhibition24-27 OctoberBangkok, Thailand

14 December November 4th Yearly reviews on Asian NGV industry: markettendencies and potentials14 December November 4th Yearly reviews on Asian NGV industry: markettendencies and potentials

10 April March 2nd Fuelling station and vehicle conversion marketin Asia: the most active countries

ExpoGNV 2007MaySan Pablo, Brazil

12 August July 4thThailand: market opportunities for NGV &fuelling station suppliers LNG project reviews inAsia

CNG CONEX 2007SeptemberPakistan

Edition Month released,2007 Deadline Special report Events with massive distribution

Advertise in the booming Asian market

October 2006 29

Last September 13th, the WorkingCommittee of ANGVA 2007 (2ndConference and Exhibition of the AsiaPacific Natural Gas VehiclesAssociation) officially appointed NGVCommunications Group as organizer ofthe event. After an international bidding processthat took two months of evaluating andconsidering various proposals, theabove mentioned committee, made upby the Thailand Association of NaturalGas Vehicles (TANGV), PTT PLC andthe Thailand Convention & ExhibitionBureau (TCEB), officially approved theoffer presented by the Group, whichhas a 20-year experience in NGV promotion. From NGV Communications Group andAsian NGV Communications, we thankfor the vote of confidence entrusted tous and we have already set to the taskof working for the organization of thisevent, which will be held in our continent, one of the most promising

NGV markets in the globe. The 2nd Asia Pacific Natural GasVehicles Association, ANGVA 2007 -Exhibition and Conference – will takeplace in Bangkok, Thailand, from 24thto 27th of October next year.

The first version was carried out in 2005in Malaysia, with the presence ofexhibitors from the main NGV compa-nies all over the world.For further information: asia@ngvgroup.com

NGV Communications Group wasappointed as ANGVA 2007 organizer

Mr. NuttachatCharuchinda,Chairman of ANGVA2007 WorkingCommittee and PTTPlc NGV ExecutiveVice President (right)and Mr. ClaudioKohan, of NGVComm. Group, immediately afterannouncing theGroup as OfficialOrganizer of nextANGVA 2007

Its mission is to establish a bridge between the expertise andexperience in CNG in South America and the rapidly expanding economies of Asia, which is the driving forcebehind the need for cheaper fuel.Rainbow CNG is present in the following countries:Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, China ,India and Bangladesh.Argentina is the recognised world leader in CNG technologyand services. This leadership was built over the past 20years, when the most advanced Italian manufacturers relocated some of their plants to South America. The carefully cultivated network of Argentine suppliers withwhich Rainbow works gives it the edge over other companiesoperating in the same field.We have an extensive range of products to meet with allkinds of needs and which we constantly update and innovate.From complete CNG filling stations, designed to operate evenat the lowest of inlet pressures, to vehicle conversion kits andcylinders.We are also introducing a UK developed technology to convert diesel trucks to 100% CNG operation. This systementails changing the pistons and using injection coils.Our engineers have recently invented a modified mixer thatenables the conversion of a 2 stroke engine to CNG. With our network of experts, we can offer reliable consultancyon best possible set of machinery tailored to specific need ofthe location, market, weather conditions, vehicle age androad system. A complete turnkey service can also be offered, whereby we can plan and install the CNG filling station in thedetermined location.For a detailed guide to our products and services please visitour website www.rainbow-cng.com

CONTACTSGerman office:Tel. 0049 221 1394343Fax.0049 221 5000437 Ms. Maria Dilhara FernandoCell. 00491704626326 rainbowcng@gmail.comBangkok office: Cel. 006652257545 Mr. Giuliano ValliniDhaka office: Cell: 0088 189224480 Mr. Mohammad Murad

The steep vertical rise of oil prices in recent years has broughta rapid expansion of the CNG market, especially in Asia.Rainbow CNG was established in 2005 by a team of CNGexperts with at least 10 years experience in the industry, inresponse to an expanding need for cheaper fuel alternatives.The parent company, Bangladesh Autocars has a long historyin the automotive field and is also quoted on the Dhaka StockExchange.

October 200630

The next ExpoGNV will be held in May 2007 in São Paulo, the biggest city in Brazil, and the venue chosen was the Expo Center Norte.The goal of the events is to show the most modern, economical and less pollutant products existing in the NGV sector.ExpoGNV 2007 will be performed by the Petroleum and GasBrazilian Institute – IBP- in partnership with Folha do GNV ,company of NGV Communications Group.As one of the star in the NGV industry, Brazil produces about 63.5 M m3 of natural gas per day and operates 1,320 CNG fuelling stations. With over 400 fuelling facilities, and 1.200.000 NGVs, São Paulo has become anotable country.With more than 8.000 m2 space, we will held the conference, exhibition, NGVs test drive, technical tours to

NGV laboratories, stations, companies and other initiatives.The Expo Center Norte offers the most modern technicalfacilities for their clients and visitors. It is near the bus station,Marginal Tietê, with direct access to the state and interstateroads, 20 minutes from the Guarulhos Airport. Every detail ofthis complex is made for the benefit of the user.

ExpoGNV 2007 in May at São Paulo

View from Expo Center Norte

Rainbow CNG solutions

October 2006 31

As the adoption of natural gas vehiclesis increasing and the quest to providecost effective customer solutions continues, the optimization of fuellingstations is becoming increasingly critical. The introduction of combinedliquid and compressed natural gas refueling stations (LCNG) is the lateststep towards increasing cost efficiencies. An important economicstep in natural gas fuelling station is theuse of liquid natural gas (LNG) asopposed to compressed natural gas(CNG) as this mode of supply offers significant operational cost savings.

Today, there are 3 different refuelingtechnologies:

CNG filling system: Gaseous source refueling in gasNeed a compressor

LNG filling system:Liquid source refueling in liquidNeed a cryogenic centrifugal pump.

LCNG filling system:a. Liquid source refueling in liquid(LNG).Need a cryogenic centrifugal pump

b. Liquid source refueling in gas(CNG).Need a cryogenic high pressure pump,a high pressure vaporizer and a bufferstorage capacity

An LCNG fuelling station is designed todeliver both CNG and LNG to vehicle’stanks depending on vehicle type. The LCNG stations pulls LNG from thestorage tank through a LCNG pumpwhich pressurizes the LNG up to 400bars and more, and send it to a vaporizer which turns the liquid into gasby ambient heat exchange. The natural gas is then odorized beforebeing pressurized into the high pressurestorage capacities which will deliverCNG to the vehicles during the pumpcool down time. LCNG refueling stationpressurize the liquid gas via a cryogenicpump as opposed to a compressor andthe liquid can then subsequently bevaporized by a heat exchanger in orderto use it in CNG vehicles or remain inliquid form for LNG vehicles.The main point of the LCNG fuellingstation is the combination of two fuelling

technologies (LNG/CNG) in one installation while using liquid fuel storage, thus making it independentfrom the grid. As a result, the investment and maintenance costs of aLCNG station are by far lower thaninvesting in 2 different stations for eachfuelling mode (CNG/LNG).

To fuel a vehicle from a liquefied sourceeither in liquid form or in gaseous formrepresents the future of automotivefuels by presenting different advantagessuch as higher autonomy, higher effi-ciency as well as reduced on-boardstorage space requirements for vehicles(LNG takes 630 times less space thanCNG) and offering competitive solutionin terms of price and efficiency for therefueling station.

Philippe Fauvel, Assistant distribution line.Head quarter :Cryostar SAS, France,www.cryostar.comCryostar China: Third building, N°17Shanxian Road, Hangzhou – China310004, china@cryostar.com

LNG/LCNG refueling station

from the line. Two pressure Euro" BSPP(F) connections are available on eachvalve.This new CSV 15 valve meets the mostadvanced industry requirements interms of reliability, safety and performances.

For more information, contact:info@cryostar.com;china@cryostar.com China office: Cryostar China, Thirdbuilding, N°17 Shanxian Road,Hangzhou – China 310004Phone : 86 571 8536 8331; fax: 86 571 8536 8409

October 200632

Cryostar -the world leader in cryogenicequipment- has developed the newhigh pressure CSV 15 valve whichmeets the highest quality and performances standards on the industrial and natural gas market.

The valve has been successfully testedat Air Liquide CTE test for adiabaticcompression with oxygen up to 400 bar(5800 psi) at 60°C. The CSV 15 (DN 15 nominal diameter) is availableeither in normally closed or normallyopened configuration; with manual orautomatic configuration by simply interchanging the actuator. This CSV valve offers the advantages ofa modular design which allows different positioning of the valves enabling itseasy integration into customer process.Its compact design meets customerrequirements in terms of space savings.These valves can be connected viaspecial brass interconnections, whichmeans no welding is needed to connectthem. Special connections for line piping are also available in Euro", thusallowing easy dismounting of the valve

CSV 15 valve

Cryostar’s CSV 15 valve

NGVI andLNGVKorea’s NGVI has a joint venture signedwith the US’s CFI for the localised production and manufacture of LNGcylinders and system components.NGVI will spend the next 10 monthsdeveloping and testing prototype systems using various cylinder sizes.

Korea has a very mature gas grid asmost of its gas imports arrive in liquefiedform. Korea’s state run Kogas is theworld’s single largest importer of LNG. "The NGVI CFI joint venture representsan important step in Korea’s supplychain to support a domestic LNG vehicle industry. With Korea’s three LNGterminals and increasing LNG importsthis fuel is fast becoming an increasingoption as a solution to Korea’s energyand environment insecurities," said NGVI President Kevin Park. NGVI’s target market up to the year2020 is Korea’s 3 million diesel trucks. It is NGVI’s aim to have these dieselcargo trucks replaced with CNG andLNG cargo trucks.

October 2006 33

EngineTech Co. Ltd. is a companyfocused on diesel engine conversion tonatural gas, which is now popular inSouth-East Asian NGV market. This firmwas founded in 1999. The founder ofthe company has more than 10 yearsexperience in Hyundai and Kia Motorwithin the engine development department. More than 70% of thecompany employees are mechanicalengineers who have experiences indeveloping the engines in automotivecompanies.EngineTech Co. Ltd. started as a professional company that designs andtests automotive engines. As the representative director of CNGBusiness, Lee Yong Gyun said" Weaccumulate and store knowledge forengine development, especially in thefield of CNG and LPG engines. We provide a total solution to developnew engine technology as we have thecapability to design, analyze, test, evaluate and produce engines. Then wecreate a business model to develop theCNG and LPG engines."

Nowadays, clean air and fuel economyare important and, thus more stringentemission standard is being introduced,and cheaper alternative fuel is beingneeded. Therefore, diesel engine conversion to CNG becomes moreattractive especially in South-East Asianmarket. As Lee continued, "We focuson the development of CNG engine tomeet the requirement in the market. We have already developed 3 litre, 6litre, 7 litre, and 11 litre engines formedium-duty and heavy-duty trucksand buses. Also, we have a plan toexpand our engine line-up to heavyduty trucks and large buses as we arenow developing 12 litre and 13 litreengines. These engines are set to TLEVand EURO 2 standard and to acquireengine performance equal to the basediesel engine. Furthermore, it is possibleto extend the engine life time during theretrofit of the CNG engine."

The company has supplied NGVs toThailand and Malaysia. They are anticipating to enter the Indonesianmarket. In Thailand they converted KIAMotor’s H07C engines (the base modelis HINO engine from Japan) for buses,which is being tested in Bangkok citynow. These conversion kits are certified

NGV drive in Asian market

EngineTech’s CNG

by PTT in Thailand. In Malaysia, theymade and agreement to supply retrofittedH07C and D4BB engines to an NGVretrofit company which also suppliesNGV engines and conversion kits.

The market of CNG engines (NGV) inSouth-East Asia has expanded rapidly.There is a rising need of having morevarious engine options due to air pollution and fuel economy reasons.EngineTech Co. Ltd. is gladly providingsuch market needs. And they willexpand their markets around the world.

October 200634

Compressed air and gas specialistCompAir will launch a new CNG compressor at NGV 2006 in Cairo,Egypt on 7th-9th November 2006. The Gazpack 42 water cooled compressor is a new addition to thepopular Gazpack series of modular,ready-to-run CNG refuelling systems.Designed primarily for small to mediumsized public refuelling stations, theGazpack 42 supplies between 275 and555 m3/hr at a delivery pressure of 250bar g, though higher delivery pressuresof up to 350 bar g are available. This new model is suited for gas inletpressures from 0.015 to 1 bar g, with ahigher inlet model, allowing inlet pressures of 2 to 7 bar g, set forrelease early next year.

The Gazpack 42 incorporates provenCompAir compressor technology combined with advances in design andserviceability based on 25 years ofexperience in the CNG refuelling industry. "Reliability is key to the successful uptake of CNG refuelling.The refuelling experience needs to beas easy as filling a petrol or diesel vehicle. At CompAir we believe a critical part of this is about minimisingdowntime during routine servicing of thecompressor, thereby reducing disruptionto the refuelling process" explains Abel

Lord, Chief Development Engineer. "We are continually looking for ways toreduce servicing times, for example,none of the Gazpack 42 parts requireselective fitting, plus the third and fourthpiston rings are supplied as a cartridgewhich makes replacement quick andeasy. The coolers are all withdrawableand of straight tube design and thatmakes cleaning much quicker."Simple things have also been improvedand now cleansing of the inlet filterdoesn’t require any interruption of thegas pipeline and oil tops up can bemade without stopping the compres-sor," continues Mr Lord.

"We are also aware of space restrictionsand the absence of lifting gear at manyinstallations, so the Gazpack 42 has notop end component weighing morethan 25 kg. This eliminates the needfor lifting gear during top end servicing.Additionally, all liners and pistons areremovable with easy access throughthe top end and, to help with spacerestrictions, the majority of the servicework can be carried out from one sideof the compressor by a single serviceengineer, without the need for specialtools or equipment."

In addition to the enhanced serviceability, the Gazpack 42 retains

the key features that have made theGazpack series so popular: reliability, amodular design offering flexibility andpotential for growth, well-balancedcompressor design removing the needfor special foundations, and a variety ofpackaging options; all helping to reducesite civil works and the cost of installation, maintenance and potentialstation expansion.

The Gazpack 42 is available as a minimum specification unit or can bepackaged in an attractive, acousticenclosure offering 72dB(A) at 1 meter,incorporating gas recovery, filtration andcooling systems. A wide range of dispensers, storage, dryers, controlsand electronic access systems can alsobe supplied.CompAir have now supplied over 950CNG compressors to more than 25countries across 6 continents and offersextensive turnkey project experience,advanced compressor design, and atruly local service capability. A "TotalSolution" approach to CNG refuelling.Come and see the Gazpack 42 watercooled compressor on stand 45 at NGV2006 in Cairo, Egypt from 7th-9thNovember 2006.

Contact: toni.stevens@CompAir.comweb: www.CompAir.com

CompAir launches new Gazpack

A new flowmeter for refuelingCNG-powered vehicles.Small, compact and highlyaccurateWhen it comes to billing and paying forthe amount of CNG actually pumped,the measuring accuracy at the dispenser is just as important as withany other fuel. Therefore, the "brain" inevery CNG dispenser is a flowmeterthat measures the quantity of fueltransferred from dispenser to vehiclewith the absolute highest accuracy –reliability day in, day out, round theclock. These are some of the benefitsof CNGmass, which has been specificallydesigned for such applications.This Coriolis flowmeter for refueling CNG-powered vehicles sets new standardsand incorporates unique features:

CNGmass, a new flowmeterSuperb production qualityExcellent measuring accuracy,

ensured by our own accredited calibration facilities

World-wide accepted Ex-approvalsVarious custody-transfer approvals:

PTB (Germany), NMi (Netherlands),NTEP (USA), W&M (Canada) CNGmasscan be used world-wide and is totallyrobust. Its extremely compact designenables it to be installed virtually anywhere (DN 15: 277 x 139 x 308 mm 10.90 x 5.47 x 12.1 inches; DN 25: 316x 139 x 313 mm / 12.44 x 5.47 x 12.32inches). Two sizes are available for practical applications – DN 15 for refueling passenger cars and DN 25 for trucks and buses.In our world-wide sales network wehave on hand competent application

CNGmass with wheel

and service engineers. They are notonly available for pre-sales and commissioning support, but in additionto fulfill your maintenance and servicerequirements.