A clean future for mobility with gas as vehicle fuel

A clean fu tur e for mobi lity with gas as vehic le fu el

IGU affiliated organisation NGVA Europe has a long-term vision regarding policy developments for gas in transport. By Andrea Gerini

Last year saw renewed and strengthened momentum in the climate change agenda, aiming to protect our planet and its environment. Under the European Commission’s newly elected President, Ursula von der Leyen, the EU’s College of Commissioners for the current five-year term took office in late 2019. This was a crucial time, with new policymakers, regulators and experts entering the political arena in Brussels to move the path of Europe’s policy trajectory forward. Shortly afterwards, the European Green Deal was officially released, guiding climate policy choices for the next five years and with the final objective of reaching climate neutrality by 2050.

It is clear that mobility and transport are still among those sectors where major efforts must be made. This will force us to discuss energy consumption, fuel solutions and mobility habits – and change them for good. We have to act within the net-zero emissions framework while developing a realistic roadmap based on solutions already available today. The Natural & bio Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA Europe) has therefore published a set of policy recommendations considered necessary to ensure a mobility which is

sustainable from the environmental and social point of view: gmobility.

The European Green Deal: need for a holistic approach

The European Commission’s first big act after coming into office in December 2019 was to announce the European Green Deal. Clean energy, net-zero emissions from transport, air quality and the circular economy are at the heart of an intense legislative calendar and its discussions.

We have to kick-off an evolutionary process in which industrial, economic, social and cultural factors will be heavily involved. The right orchestration will be able to set the criteria for a positive energy transition. Especially for the energy and transport sectors, technologies are needed that are not only realistic, but also within reach as soon as possible or ideally already exist today. This is where gmobility has a key role to play.

Ursula von der Leyen, President, and Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, presented the European Green Deal on December 11, 2019.

Gas to play its role for carbon neutral transport in Europe

Natural gas technologies and a fuel like renewable gas are ready to play their role for carbon neutral transport in Europe with a wide range of missions:

from dedicated, highly-efficient passenger cars with optimised on-board storage capacity, to an extended portfolio of heavy-duty vehicles, trucks, urban buses and coaches. Gas-powered commercial vehicles deliver the same performance as their diesel counterparts in terms of both power and vehicle range.

NGVA Europe listed over 68 original gas models available across Europe in its 2019 vehicle catalogue. Compared to conventional fuels, and measured at the tailpipe alone, natural gas vehicles offer CO 2 emission reductions of up to 23%.

When fuelling with renewable gas, which is produced from municipal waste or power-to-gas production pathways, greenhouse gas reductions of up to 95% can be realised on a Wellto-Wheel basis. And by converting liquid manure into biomethane, this could even translate into overall negative CO 2 emissions. This means that we are capturing and converting CO 2 emissions from the atmosphere,

actively absorbing CO 2 . In other words: the system is functioning like a forest.

All of this can be realised without impact on vehicle and infrastructure costs: today, running on natural gas means a saving of more than 50% of fuel costs compared to gasoline and approximately 30-35% compared to diesel, thus offering a positive Total Cost of Ownership for users.

Natural and renewable gases are a “natural” element of the European Green Deal and a quick and easy way to complement a complex system that will gradually change our ways of

Refuelling infrastructure

c UK online supermarket Ocado opened its first CNG refuelling station using blended biomethane in Hatfield in January 2019. It is operated by Gasrec.

movement and the transportation of freight around Europe and the world. Recognising their role for transport decarbonisation in the future revision of the legislative measures is the best way to create a safe, secure, sustainable and efficient system in favour of European citizens’ mobility and companies’ logistics. And this needs to start as soon and as fast as possible.

gmobility vision into 2030

By 2030, the gmobility market has a potential growth 10 times higher than

Vehicle registrations

today, reaching a fleet of 13 million

NEW CNG PASSENGER CAR REGISTRATIONS EU + EFTA PER YEAR

80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 50 353 66 031 69 899

2017 2018 2019

CNG STATION GROWTH EU + EFTA

3900

3800

3700

3600

3500 3732

3400

3300 01-201803-201806-201809-201812-201803-201906-201909-201912-2019

LNG STATION GROWTH EU + EFTA

280

250 249

220

190

160

130

100 01-201803-201806-201809-201812-201803-201906-201909-201912-2019

Data based on information collected by NGVA Europe; passenger car data issued by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

units. According to this scenario, one out of three new urban buses and coaches will be fuelled by gas. Freight transport, relying both on compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), will reach a quarter of new registrations for the year 2030, offering a realistic alternative to conventional fuels like diesel, especially for longdistance journeys.

In parallel, the production of renewable gas will increase dramatically: for 2030, a conservative estimate demonstrates a production potential of close to 45 bcm, more than meeting the entire future demand for gas in transport, estimated at about 30 bcm.

This would contribute significantly to the European decarbonisation path: 30% renewable gas in the mix

will provide a GHG emissions reduction of more than 45% compared to conventional fuels on a Well-toWheel basis.

gmobility vision into 2050

Alongside a growing conversion rate of waste and residues into biomethane, large-scale future production of wind and solar power will translate into a greater availability of renewable electricity. With adequate innovation in the system, surplus renewable electricity at times when supply exceeds demand can be used to produce hydrogen by electrolysis, which can be injected into the natural gas grid.

Blending hydrogen with natural gas provides additional benefits in the

c Europe’s gas fuelling infrastructure is expanding. This LNG filling station on Germany’s A1 highway near Bakum opened in December 2019. Operated by AlternOil it is Europe’s largest.

fight against climate change and a reduction of pollutants. Thanks to a more complete combustion process in the car engine, a near-zero emissions level can be reached. Recent experiences have demonstrated that blending a volume of up to 20%-30% hydrogen is technically feasible, with certain adaptations of materials and optimisation of engine parameters.

With the flexibility to integrate significant amounts of hydrogen, natural gas mobility is an affordable technology able to contribute to the climate objectives set for 2050 today.

To translate and communicate our vision and the benefits of gas in transport into policy, NGVA Europe has five major recommendations:

Decarbonisation

Introduce a methodology that accounts for the CO 2 emission savings from renewable gas to establish an equal footing among technologies when considering their overall climate impact. This would send a clear, positive message to both vehicle manufacturers and renewable gas producers while maintaining the focus on investments.

Gas fuelling infrastructure

Speed up the implementation of alternative fuels infrastructure legislation, maintaining a technologyneutral approach. Thanks to the progressive uptake of renewable gas, this would ensure affordability and a high-level environmental performance. The infrastructure will maintain natural and renewable gas (in the form of CNG and LNG) as alternative fuel sources – in line with the EU’s decarbonisation goal. Existing infrastructure does not need any modification when biomethane is injected.

Energy taxation

Apply preferential taxation for gas as a transport fuel linked to its contribution towards low-emission mobility and market penetration. This will guarantee the promotion of the most environmentally performing fuels.

Integrating a growing rate of renewables in the market

Recognise the potential of renewable gas in gas market legislation, by creating the right conditions to underpin future production dedicated to the mobility sector. This is the best way to create sustainable, secure and efficient gmobility in favour of European citizens.

Emission standards evolution and air quality

Consider the specificity of natural gas as a clean fuel source when establishing future emissions standards. Natural gas provides the same or better emission performance than diesel engines, but with a much simpler and more cost-effective after-treatment system.

Curbing greenhouse gas emissions from transport through the introduction of natural and renewable gaseous fuels is one of the viable ways to go. We must keep in mind that, while Europe’s fleet is still growing, the average vehicle age is between 11 and 12 years.

The environmental impact from the introduction of electricity- and hydrogen-powered vehicles will not be perceived in the immediate future as these solutions will only cover new registered vehicles and the realisation of the necessary infrastructure will need time.

Political choices should urgently overcome the opposition between the electron and the molecule. The mobility ecosystem of the future will be defined by a variety of alternative fuels and new mobility concepts. By leveraging existing investments in gas infrastructure, green gases including natural gas, biogas and hydrogen will be key in enabling an affordable, clean and economically viable transition of our future mobility towards carbon neutrality.

Andrea Gerini is the Secretary General of NGVA Europe.

About NGVA Europe

The Natural & bio Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA Europe) is a European association that promotes the use of natural and renewable gas as transport fuel. Founded in 2008, its 129 members from 31 countries include companies and national associations from across the entire gas and vehicle manufacturing chain.

NGVA Europe is a platform for the industry involved in producing and distributing vehicles and natural gas, including component manufacturers, gas suppliers and gas distributors. It defends their interests vis-a-vis European decision-makers to create accurate standards, fair regulations and equal market conditions.

NGVA Europe creates networks among interested stakeholders to reach consensus on positions and actions to expand the market for the natural gas transport system. It also collects, records and communicates reliable facts and significant developments in the market.

More information about NGVA Europe and the association’s efforts for a sustainable future through gmobility can be found at www.ngva.eu.

Getting natural gas to everyone in the world is also improving the world

naturgy.com

Naturgy is a leading multinational group in the energy sector, with its head office in Spain, that promotes the use of natural gas worldwide; an energy that reduces emissions, improves air quality and plays a key role in the energy transition.

IGRC 2020

One of the leading events in IGU’s triennial calendar, the 16th IGU Research Conference, IGRC 2020, took place from February 24-26 in Muscat, Oman, under the theme “Gas Innovations for a Sustainable Future”.

This was the first of the IGRCs to be held in the Middle

East in the 40 years of the event series and was expertly organised and hosted by IGU Charter Member Oman LNG under the patronage of Oman’s Ministry of Oil and Gas working with the professional conference organisers Ubar Conferences & Events.

In this section of the magazine we share a picture gallery and report on the conference. Papers presented at IGRC 2020 can be downloaded from the website: