OREANDA-NEWS. April 26, 2011. Bank SNORAS issued EUR 1.45 million (LTL 5 million) worth loan to UAB “SG dujos” – the company involved in production and sale of compressed natural gas. The funds are designated for implementing the investment projects of the company – installing compressor stations of compressed natural gas in Kaunas and Siauliai, reported the press-centre of Bank SNORAS.

Bank SNORAS provided the loan to UAB “SG dujos” for the period of 74 months. The total value of UAB “SG dujos” project is LTL 7.4 million, and it is anticipated to be implemented by the end of this year. According to the joint activity agreements signed with UAB “Kauno autobusai” and UAB “Busturas” (Siauliai), compressor stations of compressed natural gas will be installed on the territories of these companies, where city buses can be constantly refilled with this ecological fuel.

“We positively assess the activity prospects of this sector – compressed natural gas is a much cleaner fuel in the ecological aspect; therefore, this alternative fuel development is possible in the sphere of taxi, production companies, intercity transport and in other areas. Promotion of natural gas consumption is included in the National Energetics Strategy and in the legal acts of the European Union (EU). Furthermore, since 2011 the excise tax for compressed natural gas used in the public transport has been abolished – it should also promote consumption of this alternative fuel in the country,” says Modestas Keliauskas, the director of Bank SNORAS Corporate Business Division.

According to Virginijus Korsakas, the general director of UAB “SG dujos”, adaptation of compressed natural gas in Lithuania is only gaining momentum. “Due to its ecological compatibility, natural gas became a popular type of car fuel in the EU long ago, and because of especially low exhaust pollution the majority of the EU member states support and promote consumption of this fuel. We will also seek to create the necessary infrastructure in Lithuania for the further development of this ecological alternative fuel,” maintains V. Korsakas. 

More than 2.5 thousand compressor stations operate in the EU, and over 900 thousand cars use compressed natural gas. The EU promotes the consumption of this alternative fuel both in the public and private transport by establishing the zero excise tax tariff. It is endeavoured that by the year 2020 one-fifth of all presently consumed petrol and diesel fuel in the EU would comprise alternative fuel (biofuel, natural gas, hydrogen), while compressed natural gas – up to 10 per cent of alternative fuel.

UAB “SG Dujos” currently concentrates its activity in three Lithuanian cities – Klaipeda, Siauliai and Kaunas, it invests in renewing the bus fleets of these cities via natural-gas-powered buses, it projects, builds and runs natural gas compressor stations. The company has already founded the compressed natural gas production base by its own funds – the compressor station in Klaipeda where since the beginning of 2007, according to the cooperation agreement with UAB “Klaipedos autobusu parkas” (“Klaipeda bus fleet”), the first city-type natural-gas-powered buses were launched.