Gas into Motors international NGV rally enters Russian stage
RELEASE
Release
Today, the participants of Gas into Motors, the world’s longest rally for NGVs powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), crossed the border between Kazakhstan and Russia. The welcoming ceremony in Russian territory took place near the Europe – Asia stela in Orenburg.
With 7,193 kilometers of Chinese and Kazakh roads behind them, the rally participants – a total of 15 trucks, cars and buses fueled mostly by LNG, as well as mobile NGV refuelers – will travel 2,688 kilometers across Russia. The route will traverse Orenburg, Almetyevsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, and Torzhok. The rally will conclude at the 8th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum in St. Petersburg.
Refueling services in Russia are provided by Gazprom Gazomotornoye Toplivo.
The Gas into Motors rally is meant to showcase natural gas as a cost-effective, eco-friendly and safe vehicle fuel and to demonstrate the diversity, usability, excellent quality and dependability of gas-powered machinery.
Background
The event is sponsored by the largest energy majors in Russia, Kazakhstan, and China – Gazprom, KazMunayGas, and CNPC. The rally’s partners include Germany’s Uniper and the Silkway Rally Association for the Support and Development of Motor Sports, the organizer of the Silk Way international rally.
The Gas into Motors NGV rally commenced on September 4 in Rudong, China. For the most part, its 9,881-kilometer route lies along the emerging international transit route entitled Europe – China.
The Europe – China route is an ambitious integrated investment project spanning Russia, Kazakhstan, and China. It will be more than 8,000 kilometers long.
The rally will serve as a barometer for the use of LNG-fueled NGVs within the Europe – China route, contributing to the development of natural gas filling infrastructure along the route and the harmonization of regulations on the use of refuelers and gas-powered machinery in the participating countries.
Efforts to create natural gas filling infrastructure along the route of the Europe – China route are being taken as part of cooperation between Gazprom, CNPC, and KazMunayGas. The respective memorandum was signed on October 5, 2017.
CNPC is a major Chinese oil and gas company. KunLun Energy Company Limited, a subsidiary of CNPC, is focused on, among other things, the development of China’s NGV market. The subsidiary controls a network of CNG and LNG filling stations across various Chinese regions, three LNG import terminals, and a large number of LNG plants. In addition, CNPC’s corporate structure includes specialized design subdivisions that develop special equipment for the NGV sector.
KazMunayGas National Company is an operator for hydrocarbon exploration, production, processing and transportation, representing the government in the oil and gas sector of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The KazMunayGas National Company Group, which was set up in 2002, comprises 220 entities.
Uniper SE is a subsidiary of E.ON SE focused on power generation and global energy trading.