Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NGV - PRA (Affordable Personal Refuelling Appliance (PRA) for Natural Gas Vehicles using oil-free coaxial compression)
Période du rapport: 2015-10-01 au 2016-03-31
With increasing transport levels, the EU objective to cut transport GHGs to 40% of 1990 levels by 2050 (EC Climate Action) must be focussed on significant emissions reductions.
Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) using compressed natural gas (CNG) as a fuel are a proven way of helping to achieve this target.
However, NGV ownership in the EU is linked to CNG availability via public CNG fast fill stations, but growth in coverage is slow due to high capital costs
The overall objective of this project was to remove the barrier to NGV ownership in the EU and globally, by developing an affordable personal refuelling appliance (PRA) with an optimised fuelling capability thereby removing the constraint on market growth.
The SME Instrument feasibility study has allowed a wide range of issues to be reviewed, has confirmed the viability of the project and enabled crucial market entry decisions to be made.
Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) using compressed natural gas (CNG) as a fuel are a proven way of helping to achieve this target.
However, NGV ownership in the EU is linked to CNG availability via public CNG fast fill stations, but growth in coverage is slow due to high capital costs
The overall objective of this project was to remove the barrier to NGV ownership in the EU and globally, by developing an affordable personal refuelling appliance (PRA) with an optimised fuelling capability thereby removing the constraint on market growth.
The SME Instrument feasibility study has allowed a wide range of issues to be reviewed, has confirmed the viability of the project and enabled crucial market entry decisions to be made.
Six EU countries were chosen to evaluate the initial market entry strategy and to identify the NGV market sector that provides adequate paybacks during this initial phase.
This concluded that the entry strategy should focus on the light commercial van market where adequate paybacks can be demonstrated at current cost (2.0m3/h unit). It also showed that increasing the flowrate to 3.5m3/h which is readily achievable would improve the payback period.
Regulatory requirement reviews both in terms of unit design and installation were carried out and an installation manual has been written.
Bill of materials and value engineering impact studies were conducted and projected unit costs in various manufactured batch sizes confirmed. Supply chain development identified the manufacturing route as a contract manufacturing/assembly model. Technology partnering has identified items where further cost savings can be made from engineering development.
This concluded that the entry strategy should focus on the light commercial van market where adequate paybacks can be demonstrated at current cost (2.0m3/h unit). It also showed that increasing the flowrate to 3.5m3/h which is readily achievable would improve the payback period.
Regulatory requirement reviews both in terms of unit design and installation were carried out and an installation manual has been written.
Bill of materials and value engineering impact studies were conducted and projected unit costs in various manufactured batch sizes confirmed. Supply chain development identified the manufacturing route as a contract manufacturing/assembly model. Technology partnering has identified items where further cost savings can be made from engineering development.
In terms of socio economic benefits, poor air quality issues now have a much higher public profile and this project would allow NGVs contribute the benefits that they can bring to this issue. Information also shows that using renewable biomethane as the gas source has the ability to provide further socio economic benefits due to a much reduced CO2 footprint.
In conclusion, this feasibility study has provided gasfill with the confidence that an available market not only exists, but that it is penetrable and expandable with the introduction of gasfill’s enabling technology.
In conclusion, this feasibility study has provided gasfill with the confidence that an available market not only exists, but that it is penetrable and expandable with the introduction of gasfill’s enabling technology.