The company expects the increase in sales of CNG and hybrid vehicles to pick up the slack after its planned stoppage of diesel vehicle manufacture. “All small cars in our portfolio will get converted to CNG,” Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava told ET. “There is an acceptance from the government that CNG is a cleaner fuel, and it is being accepted for transportation. They are setting up 10,000 CNG distribution outlets.” The country’s No. 1 carmaker has borne the brunt of the drop in auto sales that’s part of the broader slump in the Indian economy. Maruti Suzuki posted a 35.9% decline in domestic sales to 94,728 units in August. Currently, the CNG option is available for eight Maruti Suzuki models, including Alto, Alto K10, WagonR, Celerio, DZire Tour S, Eeco, and Super Carry mini truck. The company has 16 models in its portfolio. ‘Encourage India-made CNG Kits’ CNG-powered vehicles currently constitute around 7% of overall sales of the company. In states where CNG distribution outlets are available, variants running on the fuel account for about 30% of the sales of each model, company executives said. Maruti Suzuki sold 31,000 CNG vehicles in the first four months of the current fiscal year. CNG distribution outlets currently are mostly located in Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat. The company increased production of CNG-powered vehicles by 40% last fiscal and is in the process of raising it by another 50% this year. Bhargava said factory-made CNG vehicles cost substantially more than those retrofitted with kits because of taxes and manufacturing costs but pointed out that they are also safer. “Retrofitment is done with imported parts this is not Make in India,” he said. “To promote Make in India, the government must encourage factory-fitted CNG vehicles. We should make CNG kits in India. Safety levels of CNG cars should go up.” In a bid to push adoption of CNG vehicles in the personal mobility space, the petroleum ministry had last year announced plans to set up 10,000 CNG distribution outlets in 10 years. It is estimated that the country will save nearly?2 lakh crore in oil imports if personal car users switched to CNG vehicles. Maruti Suzuki said earlier this year that it will discontinue production of diesel vehicles due to the steep increase in costs related to the transition to BS VI emission standards from April 1, 2020.

 https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/maruti-to-roll-out-cng-models-of-all-small-cars/articleshow/70953399.cms

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which supplies CNG in the Delhi-NCR region, said that the new rate will be effective from Sunday 6am onwards. The hike was necessary to offset the impact on its input costs as a result of the recent appreciation of the US dollar vis-à-vis the Indian rupee, said an IGL official familiar with the matter. The price of CNG being supplied by IGL in Gurugram and Rewari would be ₹58.95 per kg, while in Karnal it would be ₹55.95 per kg. The consumer price would be ₹47.10 per kg in Delhi and ₹53.50 per kg in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad. Explaining the reasons behind the revision of CNG prices, an official spokesperson of IGL said that this marginal revision was necessitated due to the recent appreciation of the US dollar vis-à-vis the Indian rupee and the increase in operational costs since the last price revision. The base price of natural gas being procured by the IGL from all sources is dollar-linked, thereby making the entire input price dependent on the value of the dollar. However, this increase is expected to have a marginal impact on the running costs of vehicles per km. For auto-rickshaws, for instance, the increase would translate to just over one paisa per km, while for taxis, it would translate into two paise per km, IGL official said. With the price revision, CNG would still offer over 52% savings towards the running costs when compared to petrol-driven vehicles at the current level of prices. On the other hand, when compared to diesel-driven vehicles, the economics in favour of CNG at the revised price would be over 27%. A large number of auto-rickshaws and cabs in Gurugram have switched to CNG in the last two years.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/gurugram/cng-price-hike-of-50p-kg-to-have-no-impact-on-autorickshaw-drivers/story-BX51yXMO1ArfSPXtPjxfZI.html

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The station set up by Rawmatt has come up in Kalamna off the Inner Ring Road. Mayor Nanda Jichkar and Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) transport committee chairman Bunty Kukde were among those present on the occasion. Talking to the media, Gadkari said the use of CNG as an alternative to conventional fuel will play an important role in controlling rising pollution levels in a developing city like Nagpur. With the setting up of the CNG station, the NMC from next week is all set to operate seven of its standard city buses (Aapli Bus) converted to CNG from diesel. The work for conversion of remaining diesel operated standard buses to CNG is under way. Apart from NMC, a city-based engineering college, too, has converted its diesel run buses to CNG. Gadkari further said that CNG has many advantages over conventional petroleum products as it is a smart and affordable choice for vehicles. “People will save money on fuel, reduce emission levels and extend life of their vehicles,” he said. CNG amounts to 50% savings over conventional products such as diesel fuel, the minister said and explained how both CNG and LNG are cheaper than diesel. “A litre of diesel costs Rs69 per 3km, while a kilo of CNG and LNG cost Rs58 and 46 per 4km,” he said. According to Gadkari, NMC’s move to convert diesel buses into CNG will bring down its expenses by over Rs60 crore per annum. “Apart from Rawmatt, a distillery unit in the region is manufacturing 18 tonne CNG. Many more CNG units will come up in the region,” he said. The NMC will also produce 40-50 tonne bio-CNG from five biodigesters installed at the Bhandewadi sewage treatment plant. The CNG mother station will supply CNG to all stations that will be set up shortly at different localities on Wardha road, Umred road, Wadi etc. Gadkari said that five plants of CNG were also coming in the region, and claimed that around 125 projects for setting up bioCNG plants are also coming up. These projects will increase farmers’ profit, he said.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/central-indias-first-cng-lng-mother-station-opened-in-city/articleshowprint/71116358.cms

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The farmers of Krishnagiri district protested in front of the collector’s office against the laying of pipelines through their fertile farm lands by Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) for the Kochi-Koottanad-Bengaluru-Mangalore Pipeline project (KKBMPL) on Monday (Sept 9). The farmers, under the leadership of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), submitted a memorandum to the district collector to implement the project along the national highways without affecting the agricultural lands. The project runs about 45 km in the district, damaging around 1,100 acres of agricultural lands. The farmers of Thirupur district too held a demonstration on Tuesday (Sept 10) against the project. The small and marginal farmers belonging to about 19 villages in the district are being affected by the KKBMPL. The pipelines are laid in such a way that the farmers have been denied the permission to do any sort of agricultural work in the 35-feet stretch on either side of the pipelines. This makes 70 feet wide area from the land they own inaccessible. Considering the fact that these farmers own small pieces of land, their livelihood gets severely affected. The district secretary of AIKS, Prakash, while speaking to NewsClick, said, “The GAIL pipeline laying project is affecting thousands of farmers of the district. The pipelines are being laid in the fertile lands of the district resulting in severe loss to the farmers. Around 10,000 mango and coconut trees are to be cut down for the project. The pipeline runs through the banks of the Thepennai River, which is supposed to cause severe environmental impact. So, we demand that the pipelines should be laid along the national highways as is done in the nearby states of Kerala and Karnataka”. The farmers are bolstering their opposition to the project fearing the loss of lands. The present state government has been accused of acting as a junior partner of the Narendra Modi-led government, escalating the fears of the farmers. In spite of oppositions and genuine proposals to implement the project on an alternate route alongside the national highways, neither GAIL nor the union or the state governments have shown any concern for the farmers, as they continue to focus on the welfare of the industries.

https://www.newsclick.in/farmers-protest-GAIL-pipeline-through-farm-lands[Edited]

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A potential deal would be a vital win for Brookfield, which recently bought the gas pipeline assets of Reliance Industries Ltd. Gail owns more than two-thirds of India’s 12,000-km pipeline network. Gail, which is in the process of divesting its pipeline business, has already received interest from state-run Indian Oil Corp. Ltd (IOCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd (BPCL) for the gas transmission assets. “Prospective bidders have begun initial discussions with Gail and are expected to put a formal offer once a formal sale process begins post the demerger,” said the first of the three persons cited above, all of whom requested anonymity. Brookfield and Temasek declined to comment emails sent on Friday. The government has been planning to split Gail by hiving off its gas marketing and pipeline business into a separate entity and selling a majority stake in it to strategic investors. The government holds 52.68% in Gail, which had a market capitalization of ₹59,195.61 crore as on 6 September 2019. Gail’s marketing business brought in more than three-fourths of its total revenue in the last fiscal. Gail, India’s biggest natural gas marketing and trading firm, is also adding another 9,000km of pipelines. The company dominates India’s gas marketing landscape with a 59% share. Gail did not reply to an email sent on Friday on details of the stake sale process. An IOCL official said the company sees huge value in Gail’s transmission assets as it plans to expand its own gas distribution network. IOCL, the second-largest gas marketer in India after Gail, has lined up aggressive expansion plans for city gas distribution.

A BPCL official said Gail’s transmission network will give a fillip to its plans of expanding in the gas distribution business. Last fiscal, BPCL hived off its gas business into a separate wholly-owned unit so that the company can sharpen its focus by bringing all natural gas-related businesses into one fold. Spokespersons at IOCL and BPCL did not respond to emails sent on Friday on whether they plan to bid for Gail’s pipeline assets.

It is currently unclear if the strategic buyers would be given the responsibility of retaining these contracts. One option is to allow Gail to continue with the marketing business that would include all the sale contracts and the city gas retailing. Since Gail has been maintaining separate accounts for its gas pipeline and marketing businesses, analysts said this makes it easier to split them into two entities. Gail’s networth rose to ₹39,062 crore last fiscal from ₹35,142 crore in the previous year.

https://www.livemint.com/industry/energy/brookfield-temasek-eye-gail-s-gas-pipeline-assets-1567965429726.html

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which fell 6.4% in the same period. In the June quarter, the company beat volume estimates. The outlook for the September quarter is also upbeat. Analysts at Jefferies India Pvt. Ltd said in a report on 5 September: “Monthly LNG import estimates vary widely across sources, but The Gujarat Maritime Board suggests that imports at Dahej surged to 1.68 MMT in June when Petronet commissioned its 2.5 MMT expansion and have held strong at nearly 1.55 MMT in July and August as well.” If the momentum persists, investors could well see another quarter of robust volumes. Petronet LNG has expanded its Dahej terminal capacity from 15 MMTPA to 17.5 MMTPA in June. Recall that during the June quarter, the Dahej terminal had operated at 112% of its nameplate capacity. On the other hand, capacity utilization at its Kochi terminal was low, at just 14%. Kochi utilization levels are expected to gradually improve, a parameter that investors will watch closely. Petronet LNG is looking to commission the Kochi-Mangaluru pipeline in October, after which investors can expect volumes to expand further. Analysts at Kotak Institutional Equities said in a report last month: “Dahej’s long-term contractual commitments, pipeline connectivity, lower re-gasification tariffs and favourable economics will hold in good stead against potential competition from coming LNG terminals.” Some analysts, though, are concerned about capital allocation. “Uncertainty regarding free-cash-flow utilisation continues to be the key overhang on the stock, while higher dividend payout until deployment in proposed projects may offer some assurance,” added the Kotak analysts.

https://www.livemint.com/market/mark-to-market/petronet-lng-brighter-outlook-on-volumes-provides-assurance-1568052588099.html

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KSPL has the concession for Kakinada Deep Water Port from the Government of Andhra Pradesh. “The PSA signed through H-Energy’s wholly owned subsidiary East Coast Concessions Private Ltd. (ECPL) will help the company to develop an LNG hub at the Kakinada Port catering to the needs of domestic customers in the state of Andhra Pradesh and shall supply LNG through small LNG vessels to H-energy’s upcoming Kukrahati LNG terminal in the state of West Bengal and neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar,” said a company statement. Commenting on the development, Mr. Darshan Hiranandani, CEO of H-Energy, said “H-Energy is excited to partner with Kakinada Seaports for our East coast project. We believe that Kakinada with its existing breakwater and deep draft combined with its close proximity to various natural gas pipeline makes this an efficient and successful project for our customers, our partners, and ourselves.” The PSA, along with its associated agreements, envisages a long-term association between the two organisations contributing towards India’s growth story.

https://www.thehindu.com/business/h-energy-kspl-ink-pact-for-regasification-project/article29376869.ece

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The European Union will do all it can to facilitate talks next week between Ukraine and Russia on future gas transits after their contract expires in January, the bloc’s energy commissioner said on Wednesday (sept 11). “It is very important for the role of both countries in future gas trading operations, and we are coming to these talks with an open mind because we need to find a solution and I understand that these talks have the support of both leaders in Russia and Ukraine,” European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic told a press conference. “We are really looking at all alternatives how we can achieve that.” He added that the date of Sept. 19 for the EU-mediated talks in Brussels had been set before a decisions by the European Court of Justice earlier this week on Russian gas flows via a pipeline bypassing Ukraine.

https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-gas/eu-says-will-push-for-progress-in-next-weeks-ukraine-russia-gas-talks/71081302

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The expansion of tiny but gas-rich Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities, already the world’s largest, is one of the energy sector’s most lucrative projects, and the world’s top oil and gas majors have been racing to secure a stake. Invitations to bid were sent out last month and the result is due to be announced in the first quarter of 2020, Saad al-Kaabi, who is also minister of state for energy, said – if Qatar decides to go with partners at all. “We like the partnership model for many benefits. But because we don’t need the partners, what’s going out is basically a set of criteria that we have, to demonstrate to us what added value we get for Qatar if you come in,” said Kaabi. QP wants to lift its LNG production to around 110 MMTPA from today’s 77 MMTPA over the next five years by building four new production facilities. Speaking from his office in Doha, Kaabi told Reuters that with the remaining contracts for its completion set to be awarded by the end of 2019, it was now asking a shortlist of majors to bid for a stake in the completed project. He did not say how large a slice of the asset would be on offer, and declined to comment on which companies had been shortlisted. Total, Exxon Mobil, Shell, and Italy’s Eni have all offered QP stakes in prize assets abroad in a bid to secure a stake in the project. Those assets, from stakes in sought-after exploration blocks to partnerships in petrochemical facilities, have helped transform QP into a significant international player in top gas and oil provinces from Mexico to Mozambique. He said QP’s decision to self-finance the project, tender for its construction, and drill appraisal wells before offering partners a chance to buy in was part of a strategy to up the ante on what majors must now offer Qatar for a piece of its top asset. A recently drilled appraisal well produced double the yield that was expected, a potentially good omen for what lies ahead, said Kaabi.  “It means we have a great project with great reserves, and the North Field is very prolific.” But the super-wealthy country also faces significant challenges. Global LNG demand is flagging due among other things to the U.S.-China trade war at a time supply from competitors like Australia, the United States and Russia is rising.

Source: LNG Global [Edited]

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Already on offer, bio-LNG is most suitable for companies who are conducting energy intensive activities. It is particularly useful for those in the industrial, manufacturing, or transport sectors, which can expect to reduce their carbon emissions by around 80% compared to diesel. David Taylor, Head of Corporate Affairs and Innovation, said: “Adding bio-LNG to our off-grid energy supply is a real step-change for the business and shows just how serious we are about building a lower carbon future for the UK. Whilst this renewable biogas is already in its infancy across the transport industry, we’re the very first to bring it to off-grid commercial and industrial companies  and we’re delighted to be leading the way.” “We already supply tens of thousands of tons of conventional LNG each year for industrial use, but as the UK moves towards a commitment to cut emissions to ‘Net Zero’ by 2050, bio-LNG is perfectly placed to fuel industry. Not only does it provide a reliable, powerful and abundant fuel source, it will radically improve a company’s carbon footprint too. This is a major draw, as it helps businesses meet strict government carbon and pollutant reduction targets,” he added. Flogas has recently unveiled their 2040 vision and aims that within the next 20 years they can offer 100% renewable energy to customers. “At Flogas we are so convinced by the benefits of bio-LNG that we have just added new bio-LNG trucks to our own fleet. These trucks are just one of many positive steps the business is taking, as we move towards a cleaner, greener future,” commented Taylor.

https://www.ngvjournal.com/s1-news/c1-markets/bio-lng-now-available-for-uk-transport-and-commercial-applications/

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The partnership involves the deployment of Ford F-250/350 vehicles fueled by CNG, used to support LAX’s fleet operations. The vehicles come directly from the Ford manufacturing plant to Landi Renzo USA’s facility in Torrance, where they are converted with the Landi Renzo’s “Eco Ready™” CNG system. Landi Renzo USA is the only approved Ford QVM (Qualified Vehicle Modifier) developer for pick-up trucks certified by CARB (California Air Resources Board), the agency responsible for implementing California’s landmark climate legislation. As an OEM approved system under Ford’s QVM program, the original warranty remains fully in place. LAX serves more than 87 million passengers a year and 2.2 million tons of goods pass through the airport each year and maintains one of the largest airport clean vehicle fleets in the nation. Furthermore, over two-thirds of LAWA’s fleet vehicles use alternative fuels, with 68% of these using CNG. Through the adoption of the Airport Alternative Fuel Policy by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, the airport is poised to further reduce its emissions. “We are pleased to be associated with Los Angeles World Airports, a long-time advocate of clean transportation. They’ve been a great partner of Landi Renzo for years and we look forward to continuing to offer clean alternative solutions for their critical operations,” said Andrea Landi, President of Landi Renzo USA. “We have provided extensive CNG training and consulting to LAWA’s fleet department. In fact, we prototyped a couple of configurations to further streamline their operation to ensure it is efficient.”

https://www.ngvjournal.com/s1-news/c1-markets/landi-renzo-helps-los-angeles-international-airport-expand-cng-vehicle-fleet/

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Our goal is to reduce the cost of fuel in transportation; so that each kilometer traveled makes the products of our country more competitive, and its landscapes, cleaner,” explains the company. You can access the map here. LNG is the most powerful and cleanest fuel for truck fleets. It has the same range as a diesel vehicle, but is up to 50% cheaper and with a lower pollutant emission rate (20% less CO2, without NOx, SOx or particulates). In addition, LNG has the latest technology in heavy engines, optimum power and higher torque than a diesel engine. As for the equipment of the refueling stations, Galileo points out that it can bring the LNG and the dispenser to the fleet operators’ headquarters. Galileo Patagonia® LNG dispensers are designed to be installed in industrial or logistics centers. Its hoses allow dispensing up to 225 liters of LNG per minute (l/min) in the same facilities of the companies. In addition, Galileo offers a Patagonia CNX dual dispenser, which allows expanding the supply of fuels with CNG and LNG plug-and-play storage systems and dispensers. “No matter how far you are from gas networks, LNG reaches you with the same logistics as liquid fuels and you can offer it as LNG for trucks or CNG for light vehicles,” they say. Patagonia CNX is installed in the same way as a snack vending machine, since its ability to provide fuel does not require connection to the underground gas network. In turn, its armored cabin functions as a built-in concrete bunker. Therefore, its installation does not demand civil works nor does it depend on the gas utility companies for its authorization. With two built-in hoses or with the capacity to simultaneously serve up to two LNG and six CNG hoses in external dispensers, the Patagonia CNX offers fuel for each type of vehicle: CNG for urban vehicles, which benefit from the low cost of this fuel, and LNG for heavy and long-distance transport, where the main benefits are linked to performance and range. At the yocargognl.com site, a simulator can be used to calculate the savings that a truck fleet would have and estimate the amortization of a purchase of new vehicles for the use of LNG or CNG.

https://www.ngvjournal.com/s1-news/c4-stations/argentina-galileo-unveils-blue-corridors-map-with-lng-truck-stations/

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While these cities strive to make their municipal transport more environmentally friendly, Solaris wants to embrace customer expectations, adding hydrogen-fueled buses to its low and zero-emission vehicle portfolio. In August, the Solaris Urbino 12 hydrogen bus was presented first in Austria, in Graz and Klagenfurt and then went on to the Italian city of Bolzano. Over the next weeks the vehicle will make it to Germany, to public transport operators in Frankfurt, Cologne and Wuppertal. Moreover, during the Global Public Transport Summit UITP in June, right after the unveiling of the vehicle, representatives of Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP) and Solaris signed a contract for the lease and tests of the hydrogen bus. In 2020, the carrier in charge of management of public transport in Paris will be testing the bus in regular passenger traffic over a period of a few weeks. The Urbino 12 hydrogen has also got its first buyer: the Italian carrier SASA Bolzano ordered at the end of May 12 units of the bus, with the delivery planned for the end of 2021. The Urbino 12 hydrogen is fitted with a cutting-edge fuel cell that acts as a miniature hydrogen power plant on board of the vehicle. Thanks to the use of advanced technology, the bus will be capable of covering up to 350 km on a single refill. In a hydrogen fuel cell, electric power is generated in the process of reverse electrolysis and then transferred directly to the driveline.

https://www.ngvjournal.com/s1-news/c3-vehicles/the-new-solaris-urbino-12-hydrogen-bus-under-trial-in-several-european-cities/

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Marta Jara highlighted the ones linked to the energy transition, in order to produce hydrogen for heavy transport, and to the implementation of digital applications that benefit truck drivers and service station users. In the framework of the presentation of the financial report corresponding to the first half of the year, Jara stressed the results, which she considered to be the product of a constant and committed work of the officials of the state oil company and of the Executive Power, who share the vision of professionalizing the company and building a transparent management. The official pondered Ancap’s strategic projection, for the purpose of adding value to society, and chose four projects, including one related to the energy transition, within the framework of a country strategy that she defined as visionary and avant-garde, with 100% renewable energy generation. “In this challenge we see a great opportunity as an oil company to join a team with UTE to capture the reserve we have for generation, which is approximately 20% of the needs of the national market. The idea is to use that reserve of clean energy to electrolyze water, produce hydrogen and use that technology for heavy transport,” she explained. Jara also noted that the use of batteries for long-distance freight operations is complicated, so she mentioned the commitment to use hydrogen. In this regard, she informed that Ancap is advancing in the generation of a first pilot program for which a production station is planned in Montevideo, which would supply a fleet of 10 vehicles, half of them trucks and the other interurban passenger buses.

https://www.ngvjournal.com/s1-news/c7-lng-h2-blends/uruguay-plans-to-generate-hydrogen-for-heavy-transport-vehicles/

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The grant has been increased to Rs155 crore. The state’s high-power committee headed by chief secretary Ajoy Mehta in the meeting held on Friday revised the NMC’s grants under SBM. The committee also approved the civic body’s proposal seeking to replace Waste to Energy project with bio-CNG and compost projects. Municipal commissioner Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner Ram Joshi and deputy engineer Rajesh Dufare were present in the meeting and stressed the need for more funds and replacement of Waste to Energy Project with bio-CNG and compost projects. The NMC had sought financial grant of Rs267 crore under SBM a couple of years ago. The state had sanctioned Rs96.22 crore of which Rs70 crore was reserved for Waste to Energy project and remaining funds were for procurement of road sweeping machine and other machineries for solid waste management. Now, the grant has been increased by Rs58.78 crore. Thus, grant of Rs128.78 crore will go for bio-CNG and compost projects. The NMC will work out exact cost of the two projects and will ask private operators to bear remaining cost. The proposal is to produce bio-CNG using 500 tonne garbage and compost through 300 tonne garbage. The civic body will use bio-CNG in running its vehicles and city buses. The central government’s Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCF) is likely to procure compost.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/govt-increases-grant-for-nmcs-bio-cng-compost-projects-to-rs155cr/articleshow/70939622.cms

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