The business sector has recognized the growing potential of CNG-based traffic in Hungary
Budapest, Thursday, 8. December 2016. – The ceremonial inauguration of Blue Green Way Kft.’s new CNG filling station took place at Bécsi street with a represent of Mrs. Beatrix Horváth, the responsible member of the Ministry of National Development, department of infrastructure development. At the same time, another 3 CNG filling stations of the company also commenced its operation. “We aspire to serve those who are involved in gas-fuelled transportation with four brand new CNG filling stations located at four frequented places. Our plans for the future is to open further CNG stations in other parts of the country as well” – said Krisztina Zsandarova, sales director of BGW Kft. With the opening of a total number of four CNG stations, Blue Green Way Kft. becomes one of the largest domestic CNG filling station operator in Hungary.

The filling station inaugurated ceremonially today at Bécsi street is located within the site of a Shell fuel station in the III. district, as well as the station located on Ócsai street in the XXIII. district, however the regulations prescribe that the CNG post requires a separate counter and separate attendant staff. The station on Bécsi street currently operates in a test mode, while the filling station on Ócsai street was tested in the past two weeks. “Besides the two stations in Budapest, the network of BGW expanded by two new CNG-stations at Nagykanizsa, and at Keszthely. Our first CNG station found at Nagytarcsa, located on the outer ring of Budapest and has been available for customers for more than a year now. In the next two years we intend to establish a network of 13 stations in total in Hungary” – emphasized the sales director of BGW Kft.

Expanding domestic network
The CNG-network in Hungary unfortunately lags behind those in Western-European countries. So far, there were only two stations in Budapest, and six in the country to serve drivers and carriers who use gas-fuelled vehicles. With the four new CNG stations, there will be 12 compressed natural gas filling stations in Hungary, and this number is expected to grow further soon. The primarily goal of BGW Kft. is to facilitate the spread of compressed natural gas, and to establish a network covering the entire country. The now inaugurated investment fills an important gap, since it makes CNG available in Northern-Buda, and also for those who live in the neighbouring settlements.

Realistic alternative
According to industry forecasts, the price gap between diesel and gas fuelled vehicles might disappear for the next decade. It means that it will cost even less to purchase and maintain environment friendly CNG vehicles. BGW Hungary currently runs two Škoda Octavias as company cars, with much favourable operating costs than in case of traditional options. The group has recently established a car salon at it’s Nagytarcsa site, with room to showcase 10-12 vehicles, as they intend to engage in the trade of CNG-fuelled cars as well in the near future. BGW is confident that the opening of the new fuel stations will encourage domestic distributors to promote CNG-fuelled vehicles. The name of our company, Blue Green Way was a deliberate selection. We choose the environment friendly way, and support every direction which heads the same way” – commented the sales director of BGW Kft.

Drivers are greeted with discounts
Currently at the stations of BGW, the price of CNG is standardized, 345 HUF/kg, however the company offers constant discounts for its regular customers. Therefore, every civil and corporate client, who claims a regular customer card, the BGW Loyalty card, receives a 5 HUF/kg discount from the price of CNG. “Starting from today, we launch another loyalty scheme for our clients registered as regular customers. Every BGW Loyalty card owner is given an additional 20 HUF/kg discount from the price of CNG for one month” – added Krisztina Zsandarova. Within the frame of the BGW Plusz Program, up to a limit of HUF 300,000, the company offers a discount from the price of the CNG fuel for cars, which were registered for the first time in Hungary between the 8th December 2016 and 31st December 2017.

CNG-fuelled cars become more and more significant
“We were glad to notice that a few years ago, another committed investor appeared in Hungary, who saw business interest in the development of the fairly incomplete natural gas filling infrastructure. The goals of BGW serve the same purposes for which we have formed the Hungarian Gas-powered Transportation Cluster Association (MGKKE). Naturally, in order to open up a station, today we might found the greatest number of CNG-drivers in Budapest, therefore BGW is on the right track economically as well with its filling stations located in the capital and agglomeration junctions, while there has been a great demand for clean fuel in the region of Balaton as well for a long time” – emphasized Henrik Domanovszky, president of MGKKE. He added that the filling station at Bécsi street was a result of the cooperation of MGKKE members, since we must mention the fact, that BGW has also selected a Hungarian compressor maker for delivering the technology of the station. It is a fine example of how the spread of CNG as a clean alternative fuel promotes the development of innovative domestic industry, and it also significantly contributes to the GDP generated by the green economy. With the help of the investments of BGW, our country comes one minor step closer to completing the transportation-energy strategy of the European Union; the unobstructed availability of bio- and natural gas based fuels, used in several parts of the world.

“We are on the right track to establish a well-distributed infrastructure network of about 100 points by the end of the decade, enabling drivers to feel safe when deciding on what type of car to buy next. I can confidently announce that this year we have officially sold exactly ten times as many CNG in Hungary, as in 2010, preceding the foundation of MGKKE. It is our joint success, which we were able to achieve with the help of such committed members as BGW” – added Henrik Domanovszky.

Clean and affordable
In several cities in Western-Europe, the banning of diesel vehicles has been on the agenda for years, on account of the fact that decision makers also realized: the restriction of emission limits only increases the purchase price of the vehicles, while the problem caused by toxic diesel pollution remains. “Our measurements conducted in Miskolc, made us clear: the NO2 emission of CNG-buses was 99 percent lower than the emission of diesel buses which are considered to be modern, moreover, the exhaust gas of CNG-fuelled vehicles are also free of particle emission, which has been proved to be carcinogenic” – commented the president of MGKKE.

Furthermore, our country faces a great challenge regarding the decrease of CO2 in transportation, for which bio-gas based fuels deliver the most economical solution both for individuals and for our entire society. “Transportation fuelled by CNG means a clean and affordable solution for cars, buses or trucks as well. One kilogram CNG equals to exactly 1.5 litre of petrol, which means that a car using 9 litres of petrol would only consume 6 kg of gas. Therefore, one kilometre would cost only 20 HUF, if it was fuelled by CNG. In optimal cases, on account of the about 120 octane quality of gas, it could even perform on a greater level of efficiency. We observed, that our middle-class cars actually consume 4-4.5 kg of CNG in an urban environment and this is a viable advantage for both the user and the environment” – added Henrik Domanovszky.