NGV Global (11 May 2005) Bangkok, Thailand: Thailand’s NGV programs are to receive a major boost in the next three years following a series of announcements from government and industry stakeholders.

The Thai government has set a target of a reduction in energy demand of 10% on 2004 levels by 2009, with NGVs forming a significant part of this strategy. Though the strategy is still in the development stage, Cabinet agreed last month in principle to apply tax breaks to promote the use of natural gas vehicles.

Government and industry have already set agreed targets of 120 CNG stations to be established by 2008. The stations are to be established by PTT Thailand, the country's leading energy supplier, which currently has 29 CNG stations in operation.

PTT meanwhile, has already established a number of initiatives to accelerate the programs. A Senior Executive Vice President of the company, Chitrapong Kwangsuksathit, announced last week that the company is to invest around 5 Billion Thai Baht ($US126 million) in a program to convert the operation of 9000 buses to CNG. Adopting a similar program to that which has been in operation for 2 years and will see more than 10,000 CNG taxis on Bangkok's roads, the company will make funds available to fleet operators for CNG conversions. Funds will be repaid through a levy on CNG at the pump.

In preparation for the program, the company last month signed MOUs with a number of stakeholders, setting up pilot programs for the conversions. Conversion systems will be supplied by three companies, Advanced Fuel Technologies and GreenGas Technologies, both of Australia, and Omnitek Engineering of the USA, for a total of eight bus and truck fleet operators. The first vehicles to be converted under this program are expected to be operational within the next two to three months.

Other measures taken by the government to reduce energy in recent months include reducing the hours of operation for petrol and diesel pumps at service stations and increasing the price of diesel by Three Baht per litre.

Source: NGVGlobal.com