Work seminar on the development of gas engine fuel market of the Republic of Tatarstan

Work seminar on development of gas engine fuel market the Republic of Tatarstan was held today in Zelenodolsk  in the territory of Zelenodolsk factory named after A.M.Gorky.

The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of PJSC "Gazprom" Viktor Zubkov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, General Director of "Gasprom gas-engine fuel Ltd" Mikhail Likhachev, General Director of "Gazprom Transgaz Kazan Ltd" Rafkat Kantyukov and others.

In the framework of the meeting it was noted that Tatarstan is a pilot region, which implemented a series of measures to expand the use of both compressed and liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel for transport.

Opening the meeting, Viktor Zubkov said that the role and importance of natural gas in the economy and in the development of regions of the country today is significant and will continue to increase.

The use of gas fuel for transport is an additional source of demand for gas, and also has two major benefits, he said, it is environmentally friendly and economical. According to Viktor Zubkov for the last five years the world's use of compressed natural gas has tripled, today it is used as a fuel for transport in more than 80 countries.

Chairman of the Board of PJSC "Gazprom" recalled that in the current year is expected to be commissioned 35 Automobile gas filling compressor stations (Agfcs) in the regions, in 2017 - more than 50. By 2020 it is planned to increase the number of CNG stations to 480, and it is better - to 500 Viktor Zubkov said.

With regard to the Republic of Tatarstan, then, according to Zubkov, in 2019 there should be 25 such stations, and with the support of the republic's leadership it is really to do it.

In turn, the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov said that opening Agfc stations today in Zelenodolsk, Nizhnekamsk and Bugulma show positive dynamics of working together with PJSC "Gazprom" for the development of gas engine fuel market in the country.

Thanks to the decisions taken at the level of the country's leadership and the PJSC "Gazprom", a long-term coordinated work of vehicles manufacturers, consumers and gas companies on gas fuel market development and improving the sectoral regulatory framework are conducted in Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov said.

"Today, our task - to ensure sales, provide the load of operating Agfc stations, as well as develop the machinery fleet with natural gas engine", - said the President of Tatarstan.

According to him, in the long term vehicles of housing and communal services, public transport and farm machinery should be with gas engine.

Rustam Minnikhanov noted that Tatarstan lays great hopes on the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

We need to maximize the use of natural gas, said Rustam Minnikhanov.

During the meeting on the implementation of the state program "Development of the market of gas engine fuel in the Republic of Tatarstan for 2013-2023 years," the Minister of Transport and Road Management of the Republic of Tatarstan Lenar Safin made a report.

At the end of the meeting an agreement on the implementation of the pilot project on the use of natural gas as a engine fuel in inland waterway transport in the Republic of Tatarstan was signed.