Italian Parliament backs bill to strengthen NGVs

The bill ‘Rules for the development and marketing of natural gas for vehicles’ also calls for a special ministerial decree to establish criteria and procedures for: self-service provision in distribution facilities for natural gas; simultaneous provision of liquid and gaseous fuels in multi-product refuelling stations; and transformation of distribution facilities for traditional fuels in urban areas into natural gas distribution facilities. Besides, it has measures that encourage and promote the production and use of biogas as a vehicle fuel in geographical areas where there is no natural gas network.

An additional ministerial decree will provide general principles to be added by regional authorities in the preparation of development plans for the distribution of natural gas, including an obligation to install distribution facilities in line with population density, and the authorization of new facilities that provide CNG refuelling points (mainly in urban areas), as well as a simplification of the authorization procedures for the implementation of new distribution centres and the modernisation of existing ones.

The initiative also include incentives in the NGV sector, prescribing that from 2011 a fund will be set up for financing research projects aimed at developing new engine technologies capable of reducing fuel consumption and emissions. This involves, in particular, projects for designing more efficient NGVs; for developing the use of biomethane, natural gas-hydrogen mixes, and LNG heavy-duty transportation; and for promoting the implementation of specialized natural gas distribution plants for public administration and municipal utilities.

Source: NGV System Italia