Ivorian Minister of Transport Amadou Kone unveiled a fleet of 50 buses fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG) last Thursday as part of the West African country's commitment to the Paris climate agreement, according to a press release distributed on behalf of Engie on Monday.
Commissioned by the Societe des Transports Abidjanais (SOTRA), the fleet is supplied by IVECO, read the statement issued by APO Group, a media relations consultancy and press release distribution service in Africa and the Middle East.
As part of the deal between IVECO and SOTRA, 50 Crealis buses running on CNG will serve within the wider urban area of the economic capital, Abidjan.
'The particle emission levels will be nearly zero, and their nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced by 60 percent,' the statement read.
The buses will be fueled at Abidjan's first ever CNG fueling station engineered, supplied and installed by global energy company Engie, in collaboration with Tractebel, a global engineering consultancy company.
Located on SOTRA's premises in Yopougon, Abidjan, the CNG fueling station will have a compression capacity of 1,360 cubic meters per hour when fully commissioned. It will be split into two units, each equipped with two hoses, enabling four buses to charge at any one time.
According to the press release, the Abidjan station is the first stage in the plan of the Ivorian government and public transportation companies to increase the number of CNG buses and ensure that the region is working towards fulfilling its commitment to the COP 21 agreement.
'More importantly, it will lead the way for other African countries that are keen to further embrace clean technologies. Countries including Ghana, Togo, Benin and Cameroon are monitoring the success of the initiative with the intention of replicating the project,' it said.
By Hale Turkes
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr