International
Italy, first country in Europe in infrastructure for heavy LNG trucks
In recent months, Italy has overtaken Spain for the number of service stations for trucks that use LNG, becoming the leading operator in the sector in Europe. The ConferenzaGNL notes this on the basis of the data published by REF-E in the abstract of the interim report 2019 “SSLNG Watch”.
The stations for trucks in Italy are now 53, of which 15 opened since the beginning of the year. Another nine facilities are equipped with a cryogenic tank but only deliver L-CNG for cars. Meanwhile, Gasnam reviews 44 sites in Spain, all for truck refueling. According to NGVA Europe, Italy and Spain are followed by France with 31 stations, Holland with 24, Great Britain with 13, and Belgium with 10. Germany is still behind, with only six refueling points but entered the sector only two years ago.
Worldwide, China is in first place with around 1,300 LNG stations and 80,000 trucks, followed by Europe with 218 (NGVA census updated with the most recent openings in Italy and Spain) and over 5,000 trucks, of which almost 2,000 are registered in Italy; in third place is the United States, with 144 sites registered by NGV America.
REF-E points out the start of the authorization procedure for the supply of tankers at the OLT floating regasification terminal of Livorno. As also reported in the conclusions of the International Conference by ConferenzaGNL held on May, Italy’s European record is put at risk by the indispensability of the “Ventimiglia corridor”, covered by almost 100% of the trucks that supply LNG from the regasification plants in Marseille and Barcelona.
The report also announces the operation by August 2020 of the Higas LNG coastal depot in Santa Giusta (Oristano, Sardinia), the start of the methanization of the Island, the conclusion of the tender for LNG loading arms for the Porto Torres depot project, also in Sardinia, and the selection of the subjects interested in the Augusta deposit project.
The summary of the intermediate report of the SSLNG Watch also deals with the issue of the regulation of small-scale LNG services, in particular as regards the tariff system of isolated networks fed with vaporized liquid methane, a topic of particular interest for the methanization of Sardinia.