On Thursday 20, the event participants visited two natural gas fueling stations to get direct contact with this industry segment and its latest advances. About 25 people from many African countries and from different parts of the world attended the appointment, toured the facilities and appreciated the local experience and development.
The tour’s first place included a filling station and a mother virtual pipeline in Langlaagte (Johannesburg), owned by NGV Gas, which specializes in providing turnkey solutions to all fleet owners who want a proven and eco-friendly energy source that is cleaner and more cost-effective than petrol, diesel and LPG. NGV Gas sets stations for both the private and public transport sectors, as well as in-house filling stations for large companies.
The natural gas station is public-access and opened in March 2014. The compression facility, warehouse and filling station are all off the power grid, operating exclusively on natural gas. The company will also convert existing stations to offer CNG as an alternative fuel source.
The Virtual Gas Network pipeline features via special tubes transported on trailers. This innovative modular road transport system safely and economically transports CNG to customers in the industrial and commercial sectors, wishing to set up internal gas distribution networks, and power generation systems (such as co-generation and tri-generation projects). This distribution system also supplies CNG refueling stations and customers who have no direct access to the existing gas network.
The second place was Novo Energy’s fueling station and conversion workshop in Benoni (Gauteng). Novo offered all visitors the possibility of attending a guided tour through the premises of their station with a detailed explanation offered by the site manager. In addition, a live vehicle conversion took place, during which trained staff explained the steps followed and their experience converting vehicles in the South African market. As well as in NGV Gas facilities, refreshments and snacks were served.
Novo Energy is an integrated gas company specializing in delivering comprehensive fuel solutions to vehicular, industrial, commercial and residential customers by making use of CNG technology. Novo’s activities include the sourcing of gas from conventional suppliers (pipelines) or the development of its own alternative or unconventional methane sources (biogas sources, coal bed methane and unconventional biogenic) through the cleaning, compression and distribution of CNG.
