The first national seminar dedicated to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles has concluded in Bucharest, Romania. The event, organised by Meda Consulting, ambitiously aimed to merge elements of theory with the practical side, a format that attracted participants from some important local organisations including Atlas Copco Romania, Carrefour Romania, Hope Sped, and Radcom.
Mr. Cornel Dragomirescu, engineer, sr. consultant, opened the seminar by giving a general overview on compressed natural gas. A more detailed presentation (definition, advantages, comparison with LNG, legal framework) was delivered by Mr. Gheorghe Buesteanu, general manager at Instaservice and president of the Romanian Association of Natural Gas Professionals.
The more applied part of the seminar was on CNG conversion operation of vehicles with internal combustion engines (principle of operation, performance, service, etc.), offering a better understanding of how a classic engine (gasoline or diesel) can be adapted for operating with two different fuels. This task was performed by Mr. Cristian Coman, director of CRC Group – BRC representative in Romania, based on his wide practical experience in dual-fuel conversions.
For the purpose of supporting the seminar, the organisers prepared an IVECO Stralis truck which had undergone a testing dual-fuel conversion so it can use CNG mixed with diesel.
Next seminar is scheduled for the 22nd of May in Ploiesti, the Romanian “capital” of oil and gas, targeting HoRecCa (Hotel, Restaurent and Catering) organisations as well as public institutions.
The current estimate for the evolving Romanian NGV market is that it has grown to more than 2,000 vehicles, supported by two public CNG filling stations, one in Rm. Vâlcea (2015, Denisson Energy) and the other near Bucharest (2017, CNG Logistics Group). Several more stations are planned for opening in 2018: one by ENGIE Romania in Bucharest and six by Denisson Energy, member of Antares Group, in Bucharest, Constanța, Pitești, Arad, Timișoara and Deva. These six stations are part of a larger project called CNG Romania, designed as the first national CNG refuelling network and co-funded by the EU.
Source: www.ngvglobal.com