Today, Saint-Petersburg has hosted a joint meeting of the Russian Federation Government and Noncommercial Partnership Russian Gas Society’s Commissions for Natural and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Vehicles.

The meeting was moderated by Bogdan Budzulyak, Chairman of Russian Gas Society’s Commission, Chairman of the Board of Noncommercial Partnership Russian National Gas Vehicle Association, Member of the Gazprom Management Committee, Head of the Department of Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization.

The meeting was attended by Viktor Stativko, Deputy Chairman of Russian Gas Society’s Commission, Chairman of the Board of Noncommercial Partnership Russian National Gas Vehicle Association; Vladimir Gusev, First Deputy Commission Chairman of Economic Policy, Entrepreneurship and Property of the Russian Federation Council; Evgeny Zayashnikov, Head of Gas Sub-Committee of Energy, Transmission and Communication of the Russian State Duma; Anatoly Yartsev, Deputy Director of Noncommercial Partnership Russian Gas Society’s Commission; representatives of Gazprom’s subsidiaries.

The participants examined the progress with the Blue Corridor project implementation in the Russian Federation within the G8 Saint-Petersburg Summit.

Bogdan Budzulyak noted that in recent years the usage of alternative engine fuel in economies of different countries worldwide including Russia is steadily growing. At the same time compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas as well as propane and butane gas (being the most technically prepared engine fuels) are widely used. The major issue to actively develop motor vehicles operating on compressed natural gas is to improve the environment.

The reporter underlined that a multiyear experience on gas fuelling station operating enables to come to the only conclusion that at present CNG marketing is provided mainly for motor transport placed near gas fueling stations. It is important to stipulate a number of conditions in order to develop gas fueling stations at local and main routes.

At the end of the joint Commissions’ meeting the recommendations were approved as regards the administrations of the Russian Federation constituents across the territory of which international highways run. Particularly, when allocating construction sites for gas fuelling station or multi-fuel stations it was recommended to find the area convenient for intercity gas-cylinder transport as well as CNG motor vehicles providing international passenger and cargo carriages. Additionally, the administrations were advised to give assistance to enterprises providing construction of engine fuel facilities as well as initiate a preparation and take measures to stimulate natural gas usage as engine fuel.

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The Russian Federation Government and Noncommercial Partnership Russian Gas Society’s Commissions for Natural and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Vehicles were established in 1994 and 2003, respectively. Both Commissions are primarily responsible for the decision-making and recommendations on legislative, organizational and sci-tech aspects surrounding the conversion of light duty and agricultural transport to gas.

The Russian fleet of natural gas vehicles is estimated at about 75,000 units. Currently, 59 Russian regions use 218 gas fuelling compressor stations with a total design capacity of 2 bcm. 88 per cent of these stations (191 facilities) are owned by Gazprom. In 2006 Russian gas fuelling stations sold 286 mcm of gas.

In all, Russia has seen an annual 20 per cent increase in natural gas consumption by motor vehicles over recent years.