Ecogas and Andesmar have joined forces to launch the first CNG station for buses. With an approximate investment of 300 million pesos made entirely by the companies and in a record time of 10 months, the refueling facility is located in the department of Guaymallén.
The companies installed a customized solution for the Mendoza Transportation Society (STM), with a strategic refueling point for the public transportation fleet powered by natural gas. It is a unique refueling facility in the country, designed exclusively for public transport vehicles. With an approximate refueling time of 10 minutes, the period in which buses must be stopped for refueling is reduced to less than half.
It is the first CNG station with high flow facilities, designed for large vehicles and with exclusive dedication to public transport units. The station’s compressor has a refueling capacity of 1,500 cubic meters per hour, this means about 50 buses per day. Soon, on that same property, the service for private vehicles will also be available.
The Governor of Mendoza Rodolfo Suarez participated in the tour of the new service station, along with the Mayor of Guaymallén Marcelino Iglesias, the President of Andesmar Mauricio Badaloni, and the President of Gasdifex Rubén Vásquez.
“This bus refueling station is based on three pillars: in innovation, because it is the first in the country that serves buses exclusively and with a high-flow pump; in efficiency, because this will reduce around 40% of the fuel cost of all buses, resulting in more resources to do other things; and in the environment, since natural gas buses have less CO2 emissions,” stated Vázquez.
In addition, he commented that this project was born thinking that the energy matrix of public transportation has to change, “we have a lot of natural gas in the south, we have the capacity to be able to bring it here to Mendoza with the current conditions and the price should be much lower than the price of diesel.”
For his part, Mauricio Badaloni added: “We trust that in Argentina, the energy transition will go through natural gas.” The president of Andesmar also mentioned that “this is the first station with these characteristics in the country, but for it to happen here in Mendoza means not only that the private sector can bring ideas, but that there is a public sector that embraces that and for which we are eternally grateful.”
Finally, the Head of Public Services of the Province Natalio Mema stated that the new CNG station will benefit the entire transportation system of the province. “100% of the investment for the construction of the station was made by the private sector. The STM has a contract to buy gas for its vehicles and, in 15 years, all that infrastructure will be for the public company,” explained the secretary.
Mema also announced that they “are working on the installation of a CNG station open to public, which will result in profits for our public transportation company and, thus, in a reduction in the operating costs of the system.”
Source: Government of Mendoza
