Tatarstan President: “Use of gas-engine vehicles proves its efficiency”

On June 6, at a meeting on using gas-engine fuel in Volga Federal District held in Nizhny Novgorod by Presidential envoy Mikhail Babich, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said that wide use of gas-engine fuel has better economic effect.

Before the meeting Rustam Minnikhanov visited the exposition of gas-engine equipment, where KAMAZ and GAS Group presented their solutions in construction, utility sectors, and bus service.

Mikhail Babich noted that Volga Federal District is a good area for using gas-engine fuel at transport vehicles. Some regions, including Tatarstan, are leaders in this sphere. However, some problems such as development of infrastructure, construction of petrol stations and service centres are to be solved for successful realization of the project. Also, the project should be approved by the government.

Mikhail Babich continued that regions willing to receive state subsidies for using gas-engine fuel at transport vehicles, should implement regional programmes which imply budget co-funding. Such programme is being realized in Tatarstan, he added.

Russian Minister of Energy Aleksandr Novak said that use of gas-engine fuel is very important. He said that the share of natural gas in Russian power balance will increase from 41 to 47per cent in the nearest 20 years. Russia is among 20 countries that use gas-engine fuel, and the country has high potential to develop this sphere. Gas-engine fuel can be widely used on municipal transport and buses.

Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, who took part in the meeting, said that the ministry developed a programme on providing subsidies for purchasing gas-engine vehicles. Volga Federal District will be a pilot region to receive subsidies.

Speaking at the meeting, Rustam Minnikhanov said that in 2013 Tatarstan, OAO Gasprom, and OOO Gasprom gas-engine fuel signed the agreement on developing the market of gas-engine fuel, and the regional programme for 2013-2023 was accepted.