NEWS: CNG bus firms air concern over viability of NGVPPT

[ghosthunter]

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx...bCategoryId=66

[size=9]CNG bus firms air concern over viability of NGVPPT[/size]
By Donnabelle L. Gatdula (The Philippine Star)
September 01, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – Operators of buses running on compressed natural gas (CNG) have raised concerns on the government’s Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport (NGVPPT).

In a letter to Energy Scretary Rene Almendras, the bus operators reiterated the issues on the viability of the NGVPPT.

“We reiterate our uncertainties on the viability of the NGVPPT, but given our investments on the said project and the benefits not only to bus operators but ultimately the commuters, we have come up with suggestion for the completion and expansion of the NGVPPT,” they said.

The bus operators said they have drafted proposals on how these issues could be addressed and how the program could be implemented.

The NGVPPT was formally created with the signing and implementation of Executive Order 290 on February 2004.

Based on the revised Philippine Energy Plan (2005-2014), government had programmed that 200 CNG buses to the Batangas-Manila route in 2006 and expand to 2,000 CNG buses on the road, supported by 10 CNG refueling stations directly operational, by 2007.

They said the NGVPPT is a great plan that would have tremendously propelled the Philippine economy by partially liberating the country from unstable world crude prices.

“There are willing participants, but after six years from the signing of the EO, nothing major happened,” they lamented.

“Being the proponent of the program, the DOE has done its job in seeking out participants to this project, but failed miserably on the main objective, the very basis of the existence of the NGVPPT, which is the delivery of natural gas,” they pointed out.

The bus operators argued that instead of looking and working for alternative solutions, the DOE has turned a blind eye to the problems besetting NGVPPT and appears to have put it on the backburner.

On the part of the bus operators, they entered and are still participating in the NGVPTT only upon the guarantee of the government that it will provide for an adequate supply of CNG for 200 up to 2,000 buses, and more as the program starts rolling and progresses.

[uls]

dyan lang magaling ang gobyerno

gumawa ng acronym

NGVPPT, MVDP, etc

naniwala kasi sa gobyerno ang mga bus operator

nag invest sila sa CNG buses thinking there will adequate supply of CNG as promised by the govt

haha

so ano na?

natutulog mga investment nila

[uls]

update lang...

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story.asp?storyid={a29ef6ad-9def-4a88-a2b5-202c910dad07}

CNG transport program in limbo

Oct 09, 2011 (The Manila Times - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- OPERATORS of
compressed natural gas-run buses are complaining that the nascent business -- touted as a solution to rising
transport fares caused by higher oil prices --risks running out of fuel given the Aquino administration's failure to
make good on promised assistance.

In a statement, the CNG bus operators said government has nothing to show for as far as the Natural Gas for
Vehicle Program for Public Transport is concerned since the opening of a lone refilling station in Binan, Laguna in
2008.

"Since the opening of the station, no major developments were attained as the only station was found to be
harboring inherent technical defects that hampered and hampering the success of the pilot," they said.

The facility was put up by Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. under a pilot CNG project inked with the Department of
Energy, wherein the former agreed to supply the gas needs of up to 200 buses.

Because of technical inefficiencies and the reluctance of Shell to upgrade the facility, government had tapped
state-led Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp. to operate and upgrade the refilling station and build
another one in Batangas.

"This government move was considered a second wind of the bus operators to recover [their] losses," the
group said.

Since the announcement, the group has yet to hear from PNOC-EC.

"PNOC-EC discovered that it is not so easy to succeed as station operator being confronted with several
interwoven issues both legal and political. The requisite mandate from the government was yet to be obtained
and the Gas Supply Agreement being held by [Shell] is not yet transferred. PNOC-EC still waits with its technical
plans and ready budget like a cactus waiting for drops of rain in desert summer," the bus operators said.

Fuel for the CNG project was supposed to come from the Shell-operated Malampaya gas field in Palawan. The
field provides gas to three power plants in Luzon with a combined capacity of about 2,700 megawatts.

A fleet of 100 CNG buses would require only one megawatt for a year based on industry estimates.

"This locally sourced fuel is not dependent on the demand-supply fluctuations of world oil prices. This is the
solution to the stability of fare costs that contributes to inflation which the majority of the poor Filipinos share as
instantly than anybody else," the group said.

As part of the NGVPPT, bus operators committed to bring in as many as 2,000 CNG-fed units provided the
government would guarantee adequate supply of the alternative fuel.

Only 35 out of 60 existing CNG buses are running because Shell's refilling station had been mired by lack of fuel
and unreliable operations.

[niky]

Free market. If it were easy, it would have been done. Now PNOC is finding out what Shell has known for years...

[Jiggs]

Agree..imagine as per the report only 1MW/100 buses or equivqlent to 20MW for the 2000Buses for a year of operation lang katumbas. Now compare it to the 2700MW that Shell is having business..maning-mani lang yun. Definitely Shell as a multinational corporation will not entertain those tingi-tingi lang, ..the mere fact Shell was disposing much of it's downstream bussiness will not be of any help. Read a week ago that they had just sold its LPG business here to a Japanase and Filipino consortium.

[uls]

that's what happens when you implement ideas that seem to make sense. seem to

yeah natural gas is cheaper. yeah natural gas is cleaner. yeah we got natural gas coming out of Malampaya

so CNG buses! the solution to cheaper, cleaner transport! makes sense right?

there are ideas. and there's reality

idea meets reality

[Jiggs]

Yeah..sad but true Ideas are great but reality sucks. But on hindsight if the Gov't will only focus on the reality and forward thinking they should at least invites Investors for a projects of an LNG terminals and re-gassification. We have to admit that at current state of our gov't this may be not utmost priority but they should include this in their PPP programs. Crude oil at the current rate of production and consumption may last up to 100years or less according to experts so a reasonable back up should be ready for us. And the name of the big alternative to it is the Natural GAS, based on expert predictions..at the current rate of gas production it would still take more than 250 more years before it would be depleted..not only it is abundant but it is the next best acceptable enviromentally to the Renewable energys. One good advantage also is were just sitting right besides Brunei and Malaysia which is one of the biggies in LNG exports. Having an LNG terminals will also create good competition and thus benefiting us consumers and will also help our smog clogged environment. Only after those projects this CNG will prosper but if it only will be from our Malampaya field..slim chance.

How I wish some smart and brave souls will invest on this..for our sustainabilty and our childrens future.