Natural gas used for green transport in Abu Dhabi

Date: 24/9/2012

20 of the 500-strong fleet of vehicles owned by the (ADFCA) Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority have so far been converted to run off (CNG) compressed natural gas.

This is the beginning of a process which the ADFCA hopes will see 20 per cent of the total fleet running in a less emissions intense manner by the year 2015.

A partnership between ADFCA and Al Wathba Central Services has been negotiated in order to facilitate the change to green transport.

The latter company will train employees of the former in the best ways to drive the more sustainable vehicles.

Compared to a car powered with gasoline, the CNG vehicles produce a carbon footprint 75 per cent smaller.

Other benefits of using CNG include the fact that it is safer, as it is harder to ignite and lowers the cost of operating the fleet, as well as the minimising of environmental impacts.

According to the ADFCA, a CNG vehicle emits 80 per cent less nitrogen oxide, 80 per cent less non-methane organic gases and as much as 70 per cent less carbon monoxide.

Ahmad Abdul Al Sharah, Acting Director of Communication and Community Service at ADFCA, told Gulf News: “We believe that it is important to do all we can to make life easier for the present and coming generations through better protection of our environment and reduction of pollution.”

A number of moves have been made in Abu Dhabi in recent years to make it and its facilities more sustainable.

They include the zero energy Masdar City, the first rapid electric vehicle charging station in the Middle East and aviation biofuels being adopted by Etihad, the national airline.

Mr Al Sharah said: “The word ‘sustainability’ has now become an integral part of government parlance and projects announced are all in line with the objectives of achieving sustainability.”

The adaption of these cars is the latest project in Abu Dhabi to help improve its infrastructure in terms of sustainability.

Posted by Nick Anderson

International Transport News and Sustainable Transport News