The transport company Expreso Brasilia, in collaboration with Gases del Caribe, Ecopetrol, Promigas and Gazel (Terpel), put into service the first interdepartmental bus operated 100% by natural gas, a commitment to sustainability and the country’s energy transition. The launch ceremony took place in Barranquilla and was attended by the Vice Minister of Transportation, Carlos Eduardo Enríquez Caicedo.
The Euro 6 bus has a Scania chassis, with Hexagon Agility’s CNG fuel system, and Marcopolo bodywork. According to the tests carried out, it offers a reduction in the emission of polluting gases of at least 64% compared to its diesel counterpart. It has three cylinders that store 1,071 liters of CNG, which offers a range of 550 kilometers, enough to travel on the Barranquilla – Valledupar route, where the vehicle will initially be operating, without requiring refueling on the road.
It has a capacity for 42 passengers, 24/7 satellite monitoring through the Expreso Brasilia operations center, space for users with reduced mobility, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, individual screens, and a complete on-board entertainment system with movies, music and series, which will make the passenger travel experience unique.
“This is part of Expreso Brasilia’s commitment to sustainability. We take the first step towards a cleaner, more responsible and profitable operation, which contributes to the modernization and strengthening of the road transport sector. We are proud to be pioneers of this initiative. Without a doubt, it is a historic day for Colombia,” said Alfredo De León Moreno, General Manager of Expreso Brasilia.
“From Gases del Caribe we promote projects like these with the aim of contributing to the energy transition with the use of a cleaner and more environmentally friendly fuel. In addition, our operation contributes to the provision of a safe, comfortable and more economical service to passengers thanks to the lower value of natural gas compared to other fuels such as diesel”, said the Assistant Manager of Distribution at Gases del Caribe, Mario Cuello Navarrese.
“At Promigas we join the valuable efforts of the business sector to diversify mobility alternatives and migrate in an orderly manner towards cleaner energies such as natural gas,” he said. Wilson Chinchilla Herrera, vice president of distribution at Promigas.
Yeimy Báez, Ecopetrol’s Vice President of Low Emission Solutions, also commented: “This is a great result of teamwork with other companies. With these initiatives, we advance on the road to energy transition, and for this reason we are also promoting other projects on natural gas for vehicles for segments such as light trucks, tractor-trailers, and buses that we will soon see on the roads of Colombia.”
“Through our Gazel brand and the installation of CNG fast filling stations on the country’s main road corridors, we materialize our purpose of promoting and mobilizing people, companies and the country with the best energy. It is a great pride for us to contribute to initiatives that allow Colombia to advance in its energy transition and improve the quality of the environment,” added Alfonso Ibarra, NGV Management Manager at Terpel.
With almost 15% of the total vehicles converted nationwide, the Caribbean region is a leader in the conversion and renewal of fleets of private, public and cargo vehicles, thanks to the opportunities offered by natural gas distribution companies, such as Gases del Caribe and Gazel which, through economic incentives, competitive prices in CNG rates and provision of quality service, allows businesses in the region to acquire new vehicles that run on natural gas.
Source: Expreso Brasilia
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