GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLE

Country:	Germany
Product group:	Vehicles
Name of the institution:	Municipal utility of Augsburg

The municipal utility of Augsburg is a service provider in the fields of energy, water and local traffic in Augsburg. By using natural gas vehicles the municipal utility underlines its engagement for environmental protection.

Specifications of the Institution

Sole associate of the municipal utility is the city of Augsburg. The municipal utility is with 1,800 employees one of the biggest communal enterprises in Bavaria. It supplies over 350,000 people with power, natural gas, district heat and drinking water around-the-clock. Moreover they offer environment friendly natural gas buses and trams which are used in the local traffic. The municipal utility of Augsburg pioneers in the field of environmental protection in Bavaria, for example it successfully participated in a programme called “Ökoprofit“ within the local agenda 21. Furthermore it has committed itself to realize self-responsibly and voluntarily environmental protection in line with the “Umweltpakt Bayern“(Environment Pact of Bavaria) of the Bavarian government.

Measures

The municipal utility of Augsburg attaches great importance to environmental protection. It promotes the procurement of natural gas vehicles for private use, and uses natural gas driven buses for public transport. Its vehicle fleet was extended by twelve natural gas driven buses of the model MAN NG313 CNG. These buses correspond to the emission standard EEV and already are below the Euro 5 standard, which will be compulsory as of 2008. Right now, the public transportation services has 84 natural gas buses in use. Furthermore the municipal utility of Augsburg uses 55 utility vehicles and 105 passenger cars, all driven by natural gas. The remaining petrol driven and diesel vehicles are about to be replaced (if possible) with natural gas vehicles in the course of this year.

Success

The new natural gas buses barely emit particulate matter: the emissions of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbon is reduced by 70 %, the emission of particulate matter is even reduced by 90 %. No C02 emissions are saved if compared to modern diesel buses. By optimising the future models a reduction of these emissions will also be achieved. By switching to natural gas vehicles an amount of 30 % of the fuel costs can be saved.