LNG Blue Corridors project

The LNG Blue Corridors project has made significant progress, as the first refuelling points are due to open in April 2014.

LNG as alternative fuel

The project aims to improve knowledge and awareness of liquefied natural gas as an alternative fuel for medium and long distance road transport. The aim is to establish LNG as a real alternative for transport fuel, ultimately as an adequate substitute for diesel.

The initiative has defined a roadmap of LNG refuelling points along four corridors covering the Atlantic area, the Mediterranean region and connecting Europe’s South with the North and its West and East accordingly. In order to establish a sustainable transport network for Europe, the project has set the goal to create a fleet of approximately 100 heavy-duty LNG powered vehicles.

Refuelling stations

Currently, five of the total 14 locations for new refuelling stations have been specified and on 9^th April NGVA Europe member Eni will inaugurate the first station in Piacenza, Italy. Eni's facility will provide both LNG and CNG (compressed natural gas).

Over the next few weeks, Drivesystems will open an additional station in Belgium, and another will be inaugurated by the Swedish Gas Association (Energigas Sverige), in Örebro, Sweden.

Further confirmed supply points will be located in Lisbon, Portugal and Malaga, Spain with the locations of the remaining facilities to be confirmed soon by the project consortium.

LNG roadmap

The project’s current plans to connect 11 European countries by road using LNG trucks are ongoing and applications from fleet owners are under evaluation. Throughout the evaluation, a number of different aspects have been discussed including:

• Major routes carried out
• Potential future routes
• Number and models to be included in the LNG Blue Corridors
• Estimations concerning the annual mileage per truck and their usual working weights

LNG vehicles

The first two LNG heavy-duty vehicles, property of Transportes Monfort, have already been co-funded by the LNG Blue Corridors. The results of the vehicle’s first performance will be presented in the coming weeks.

Fleet operators wanting to be included in the LNG Blue Corridors project can still contact the project coordinator or NGVA Europe. Operators participating will receive up to €14 000 per eligible truck. In order to participate, trucks must have been purchased or leased after 1^st May 2013.

LNG Blue Corridors

LNG Blue Corridors unites and mobilises the critical mass of partners and research institutes in LNG transport and infrastructure technology. The project also represents the first phase in the staged roll out of LNG refuelling stations and a broad market development for heavy-duty vehicles powered by LNG.

This option has large potential for contribution to achieve Europe’s policy objectives, including the European Commission’s targets for green house gas reductions, air quality targets, reduction of the crude oil dependency, and security of supply. The project will run for 4 years and will connect over 12 member states.

Project members

The project is co-funded by the European Commission and involves 27 partners from 11 countries, all members of NGVA Europe. The following groups are partners in the LNG Blue Corridors project:

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.lngindustry.com/small-scale-lng/17032014/lng_blue_corridors_project_makes_progress_298/