CNG News: 20th January 2009

Vietnam: Green bus fleet prepares to leave HCM City depot

The first two energy-saving Compressed Natural Gas buses will begin running in HCM City, Vietnam, according to city officials. Duong Hong Thanh, vice director of the municipal Department of Transport, said the buses would help cut transport costs in half and protect the environment. Carbon monoxide emissions by the vehicles are expected to fall by 60 per cent and nitrogen oxide (NO) by 10 per cent. Thanh said the target of Vietnamese government it’s to have 100 CNG buses in operation over the next three years. The project is carried out under a co-operation among the department, the PetroVietnam Southern Gas Joint-Stock Company and the South Korean-owned Sunjin Company. Stations will be set up around the city to provide fuel for the buses, with the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group pledging to provide 50 million cu.m of the CNG in 2009 and double that figure in 2010. “Investors will face financial difficulties in investing for clean fuel buses, so the department will ask HCM City People’s Committee to create special incentives,” Thanh said. Among the measures are the provision of money to import this kind of buses and long-term, low interest loans. The companies will also be allowed to keep savings on fuel or other purchases to compensate for their initial investment expense.