April 19, 2023. Companhia Paranaense de Gás (Compagas) and the manufacturer Scania join forces with the aim of promoting the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) and biomethane in cargo vehicles. The partnership was consolidated during the companies’ participation in the 5th South Brazil Biogas and Biomethane Forum, which takes place from April 18 to 20 in Foz do Iguaçu, in the western region of the State of Paraná. Through an official statement, the companies highlighted the importance of working together for the implementation of projects that allow the development of the use of natural gas for heavy transport, including buses and trucks, and the structuring of Blue Corridors so that these units can circulate with a more efficient and sustainable fuel.
“Projects related to sustainable mobility place Paraná in a movement of national prominence. Natural gas is green energy and contributes to the energy transition with lower polluting emissions and greater competitiveness. In addition, Scania’s technology is available for immediate adoption by fleets and businesses, which also represents immediate environmental and operational gains. Natural gas and biomethane are the fuels for the sustainability of the present”, highlights the CEO of Compagas, Rafael Lamastra Jr.
“Scania’s partnership with Compagas celebrates another important step towards the decarbonization of cargo and passenger transport. It is necessary for the largest possible number of operators to bet on this alternative, not depending on diesel, and encourage the market to cover this demand. We are working on several fronts so that biomethane is increasingly not only a viable option, but also a real one, just as it happened with ethanol for cars”, highlights Gustavo Bonini, Scania’s Director of Institutional Relations.
Among the projects carried out by the two firms is the demonstration of the 100% natural gas bus that integrates urban public transport in Curitiba and the Metropolitan Region. Throughout the month of March, the vehicle traveled more than 280 kilometers a day between the capital of Paraná and the neighboring municipality of São José dos Pinhais. The action is part of the sustainable urban mobility initiative based on the use of natural gas, carried out by Compagas and Scania, together with the Paraná Metropolitan Affairs Agency and the State Government.
A similar action was initiated by Compagas and Scania with the Curitiba City Council. The objective is to carry out a demonstration of the CNG-powered vehicle and certify the efficiency indicators, in particular, the reduction of polluting emissions to integrate this type of unit in the public transport fleets of Paraná.
On the other hand, they are also working on the Blue Corridors, an initiative that is a reality in Paraná and in several states of the country. The common purpose is the development of adequate and adapted CNG refueling facilities for heavy vehicles (trucks and buses) on the main highways and cargo transport routes, which allow for more autonomous trips with clean energy and the consequent increase in number of units that use this technology for their operations.
In the State, Compagas serves five service stations located in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba that already supply these vehicles and, still in 2023, it is expected to come into operation, in the city of Ponta Grossa, in the Campos Gerais region, the first station designed with exclusive infrastructure for the supply of natural gas to trucks. “Our focus is on the transportation of agricultural production from the interior of Paraná to the Port of Paranaguá,” Lamastra points out.
