Trinidad Partners NGC CNG, NP and PTSC to Deliver National CNG Initiative
NGC CNG Company Limited (NGC CNG), along with the Trinidad & Tobago National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (NP) and the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC), recently announced a historic partnership aimed at increasing the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative cleaner transportation fuel in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T).
The transportation company, along with the energy providers, celebrated the milestone launch of the National CNG Initiative with dignitaries and other stakeholders within the energy sector during an event held at the PTSC compound in Port of Spain on Wednesday 15th April.
CNG is the most economical fuel available in T&T and vehicles that use CNG have significantly less harmful emissions. The launch formally introduced 35 new CNG-powered buses operating in the PTSC fleet, and the ability to conveniently fuel these buses from a temporary CNG station located in the compound’s holding bay.
“In 2014, PTSC made a very bold step to source original equipment manufacturer (OEM) CNG buses, 35 brand new ones. These straight-out-of-the-factory OEM vehicles only use CNG. We congratulate the PTSC for this responsible move to switch 10 percent of their fleet to CNG only. And these buses have been on the road for three months and the feedback has been nothing short of excellent,” said Curtis Mohammed, President, NGC CNG Company Limited, during his address at the launch.
The CNG buses are all manufactured by China’s Sunlong Bus company (Shanghai Shenlong Bus Co.,Ltd.), with 18m articulated SLK6185 City Buses and 13.7m SLK6145 City Buses in operation since the start of 2015.
In addition to the new vehicles, PTSC added to the CNG bus fleet through conversion. “I am indeed happy to note that PTSC has played a pivotal role in this process. The Engineering Department under the directorship of Mr. David Bartholomew had converted three (3) buses from diesel to CNG, and these buses have been functioning well,” said Dr. Vincent Lasse, Chairman, PTSC.
Completed in less than two months, construction of the temporary CNG fuelling station began in October 2014. The station is equipped with sophisticated equipment supplied by Agira SA, a global CNG equipment supplier based in Argentina. The advanced equipment allows greater efficiency for PTSC employees as the buses are filled with the natural gas in approximately 10 minutes. Plans exist for a permanent facility to be constructed.
NP Chairman Neil Gosine stated that NP is pleased to be a part of the initiative. “Today we are part of a historic partnership that will link NP, which I am proud to represent here at this ceremony, with NGC CNG and the PTSC. What takes this relationship beyond unique and into the realm of the extraordinary is that it will shortly be extended to maxi taxis. What makes it more than extraordinary is that it is not about petrol or gas, but is based on the greater availability of CNG or compressed natural gas and its increasing use as the fuel of choice for our nation’s commercial transportation industry and private users alike,” Gosine said.
