By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Ivorian Minister of Transport, Mr Amadou Koné, and several government Ministers gathered to launch a ground breaking initiative as part of the country’s commitment to the Paris COP 21 agreement.
The Minister unveiled a fleet of buses commissioned by the Société des Transports Abidjanais (SOTRA), supplied by IVECO and fuelled by compressed natural gas. ENGIE and Tractebel collaborated to engineer, supply and install the first ever compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelling station in Abidjan.
The CNG fuelling station is located on SOTRA’s premises in Yopougon, Abidjan, and will facilitate the operation of the new range of compressed natural gas buses. When fully commissioned, the gas fuelling station will have a compression capacity of 1360 m³/h, and will be split into two units, each equipped with two hoses, enabling four buses to charge at any one time.
ENGIE and Tractebel have a unique level of expertise and a local presence that was vital to the success of the venture.
They are specialists in delivering infrastructures which provide alternative fuels for green mobility solutions. The Abidjan station is the first stage in the Ivorian government and public transportation companies plan to increase the number of CNG buses and ensure that the region is working towards fulfilling its commitment to the COP 21 agreement.
More importantly, it will lead the way for other African countries that are keen to further embrace clean technologies. Countries including Ghana, Togo, Benin and Cameroon are monitoring the success of the initiative with the intention of replicating the project. As part of the deal between IVECO and the Société des Transports Abidjanais (SOTRA), 50 Crealis buses will run on compressed natural gas in Abidjan. The particle emission levels will be nearly zero, and their Nitrogen Oxide emissions will be reduced by 60 per cent. The buses will serve within Abidjan’s wider urban area.
