Industry News
Egypt to host next week’s international Natural Gas Vehicles 2006 conference
1st November 2006
As many as 700 delegates from around the world are gathering in Egypt next week (7-9 November) to promote the increased use of natural gas vehicles worldwide at a conference to be hosted by Egypt's Minister for Petroleum, His Excellency Eng Sameh Fahmi. NGV2006, is the biennial event of the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles (IANGV) which is projecting that more than 50 million NGVs will be operating worldwide by 2020. More than one million natural gas vehicles are expected to be operating in the Middle East by 2010.
The conferences organisers say that despite being home to 65% of the world's oil reserves, pressure to improve air quality and maximise crude oil revenues is driving Middle Eastern governments to implement alternative fuel schemes that dwarf many of those in other oil dependent nations.
Government and private organisations in Egypt, Iran, United Arab Emirates and other oil rich nations are said to be well under way with natural gas rather than ethanol or biodiesel vehicle programmes. Conference host country Eqypt itself already has 70,000 natural gas vehicles in operation, aiming for a target of 145,000 by 2010, while Iran, with 140,000 natural gas vehicles, is well on its way to achieving a 2010 target of 600,000 vehicles including 20,000 buses, at the rate of more than 12,000 vehicles per month. Several compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles have begun operating in the United Arab Emirates within the past year. Government officials have targeted 10,000 vehicles in Abu Dhabi alone.
Pakistan already has more than 1 million NGVs. While the Middle East has contributed to more than five million natural gas vehicles currently on the roads worldwide, increasing numbers in Europe, North & South America and Asia are expected to raise this to more than 50 million by 2020.
International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles (IANGV) President Juan Carlos Fracchia says that while natural gas vehicle numbers are increasing at a high rate, more widespread use would yield lasting benefits worldwide. "Natural gas reserves are more evenly distributed throughout the world than crude oil," he said. "Using natural gas for transport gives nations increased energy security and control over fuel prices while at the same time delivering cleaner air to their citizens and lower greenhouse emissions to the world. For instance, Korea, with no natural gas of its own has found it valuable to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) for use in vehicles"
More information on the conference can be found at www.ngv2006.com
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