Electricity and gas in transport – sustainable alternatives?
- Dr. Gerhard Holtmeier, Board Member of Eurogas and Chairman of the NGVA Europe
Co-speakers:
- Senan McGrath, Chairman of Eurelectric’s Vehicle Task Force and Chief Technology Officer at Energy for Generation
- Kemal Önel, National Expert in the Unit ‘Clean Transport and Sustainable Urban Mobility’ at DG Move, European Commission
Emissions from transport are a major contributor to issues related to air quality, environment protection and climate change, and there are many different options to tackle these emissions.
One powerful option is the use of gas – natural gas or green gas, i.e. biomethane and synthetic methane from power-to-gas processes. One of the big advantages of using gas is that the technology can be applied today in shipping and road transport, such as in heavy goods vehicles and public transport, in fleet and utility vehicles, as well as in passenger cars.
Some of the options, including gas, can be combined with others or – just as it should be in a well-functioning market – compete with each other. A partner as well as competitor for gas in transport is electro-mobility.
Senan McGrath, Chief Technology Officer at Energy for Generations and representative of Eurelectric at the Commission’s Sustainable Transport Forum, discussed the pros and cons of electricity and gas in transport controversially, together with Dr Gerhard Holtmeier, Board member of Eurogas, Chairman of the Natural & bio Gas Vehicle Association Europe and Member of the Board at the German energy company Thüga. Their presentation was complemented by an intervention from Kemal Önel, national expert at the European Commission (DG Move).