The CNG ‘revolution’ lands in Ireland
NUI Galway and Gas Networks Ireland will try to lead a “new transport revolution” as they introduce compressed natural gas (CNG) and renewable gas for trucks, vans and buses.
The ‘Causeway’ project will see the development of a natural gas transport re-fuelling network in Ireland. The project will support an overall nationwide roll-out of 70 compressed natural gas filling stations. In addition to this, a renewable gas injection facility will be built in 2018.
The delivery of 14 fast-fill compressed natural gas (CNG) stations in the first roll-out, will be the first significant deployment of CNG refuelling infrastructure in Ireland.
This will introduce renewable gas into the natural gas network for the first time. The work which is undertaken in Ireland will be monitored and documented by NUI Galway. This research will then be fed back to gas operators all over Europe and will assist in the development of similar projects across the continent.
Causeway also marks a first for NUI Galway, as this is the first time that the University has been successful in securing a funding application from the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility. The Causeway project received approval for €6.5 million co-funding from the European Commission.
“The development of a natural gas transport network will significantly de-carbonise Ireland’s commercial fleet. CNG, and the soon to be introduced renewable gas, will play a major role in making transport in Ireland cleaner,” commented Denis O’Sullivan, Head of Commercial at Gas Networks Ireland.
The Causeway project, which is funded under the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), will deliver a clean energy project for Ireland’s transport sector.
