LNG is HOT:
Opportunities, Challenges & Strategies as a Vehicle Fuel
3 & 4 December 2009

Le Chatelain Hotel
Rue de Chatelain 17
1000 Brussels, Belgium

The Purpose & Goal of this Workshop

LNG is HOT: Opportunities, Challenges & Strategies as a Vehicle Fuel presents an opportunity to identify and explore the most important technology and marketing issues for liquefied natural gas vehicles (L-NGVs) and renewable liquefied biogas (so-called LBG).  World-wide experts will discuss the broad LNG markets and experiences in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America.  L-NGV technology – retrofit systems and factory-built products – will be presented. Technologies and strategies for LNG (and liquefied-to-compressed – L-CNG) fuelling and LBG production will be explored.  The development and harmonization of L-NGV standards, regulations and safety will receive focused attention as a key building block to the industry achieving worldwide sustainability. 

This second in the series of Clean Fuels Consulting Critical Issues Workshops gathers expert speakers to address a knowledgeable audience of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Bio-Gas (LBG) stakeholders who, together, can identify and explore new strategies to expand the world-wide markets for cryogenic natural gas/methane as a vehicle fuel.  The workshop provides an excellent opportunity to interact and network with leading figures in the industry and, importantly, we want to leave the workshop with a firm idea of the key issues facing the industry and what next steps are required by the industry to advance the sustainable growth for LNG and LBG in over-the-road and non-road vehicle transportation and fuelling technologies.

Who Should Attend this Networking Opportunity

This Critical Issues Workshop provides an excellent opportunity to network and engage with NGV and LNG industry experts, equipment suppliers, customers, public sector policymakers and other stakeholders. Seven table top exhibition spaces are provided within the workshop venue to display information and materials about equipment and service suppliers’ specific businesses.  Coffee breaks and a cocktail reception on Thursday night will be held in the same area as the table top exhibits in order to facilitate networking opportunities. Additionally, sponsorship of the workshop is encouraged so that individual companies can enhance their corporate visibility.  The workshop is being marketed extensively throughout the global NGV and LNG communities.

Dramatic LNG Market Expansion Foreseen

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is capturing wider attention worldwide as countries continue to focus on energy security through diversity of supply, improving the environmental and economics.  Created from fossil natural gas or renewable biogas at -163o C LNG presents unique and creative opportunities to further enhance the versatility of natural gas as a vehicle fuel.  LNG is providing an economic alternative to diesel in the heavy duty trucking industry, in port facility vehicles, and increasingly in marine and rail applications. The current level of global trade in LNG is anticipated to nearly double by 2020 and, potentially, triple by 2030 and beyond, so the market for liquefied natural gas vehicles (L-NGVs) should strengthen concurrently as more countries incorporate LNG into their energy strategies.  The cryogenic upgrading of renewable biogas into liquefied biomethane as a high grade fuel for vehicles is yet another creative application that can help reduce the well-to-wheel CO2 emissions over heavy duty diesel vehicles by 100% or more.

But LNG as a vehicle fuel faces some significant challenges to achieving its full potential share of the global NGV market including, but not limited to:  

• There are very few global regulations for L-NGV applications and there are many remaining gaps in the existing international standards. The lack of harmonized standards and regulations impede opportunities to reduce the cost of manufacturing and purchasing different LNG equipment.
• Numbers of countries prohibit various types of LNG transport or L-NGVs in areas where there could be a strong market.
• Many manufacturers of heavy-duty engines and vehicles – even those producing NGVs -- have not yet adapted their products for LNG.  There are too few products, in particular, for the very heavy truck-haulage industry or for larger off-road vehicle applications where LNG could provide economic and environmental benefits.
• Consistency of fuel quality, particularly in the cryogenic processing of biogas and in LNG fuelling stations faces special challenges that need to be addressed.

LNG is Hot will systematically address these issues and, with input from the expert panelists and the audience, identify a strategy for L-NGVs and liquefied biogas into the future.