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CNG solution for polluting vehicles

ABU DHABI — Significant improvements in Abu Dhabi's air quality can be expected, particularly in the urban areas, if there is a move towards using Clean Natural Gas (CNG), according to the Technical Committee constituted under an Abu Dhabi Executive Council Decree early last year.

Twenty per cent of the most polluting vehicles in Abu Dhabi will have to switch over to CNG by 2012 if the plan is to succeed, the committee has noted.

The committee was formed to ensure that CNG is used as an alternative fuel in the Emirate. The most polluting vehicles in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi are government-owned vehicles, taxis, buses and drivers' training vehicles, which are the most in use and roam the road for the major part of the day.

The decision was made at the Committee's 5th meeting held to follow up on the strategy to use cleaner, safer, more economical and more environmentally friendly fuels for cars, as part of a comprehensive plan to achieve sustainable development in the Emirate.

The committee is chaired by the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and consists of members from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Mubadala, General Police Headquarters, Civil Defence, Emirates Standardisation and Meteorological Authority and the Department of Municipalities and Agriculture.

Vehicles that will be converted will include those belonging to the Department of Municipalities and Agriculture, the Emirates Transportation Association, Abu Dhabi International Airport and Al Ain Airport, besides the rest of the government-owned vehicles as well as taxis.

The committee will set the standards and guidelines for the few cars already fitted with CNG, cars to be fitted with CNG in the future as well as the newly manufactured vehicles, exhaust emissions from different types of fuels such as Diesel and CNG and emissions from industrial stacks and processes.

The standards and guidelines will also cover all the car workshops that will convert the vehicles in order to run on CNG, and building of special gas stations to allow the private sector to get involved in providing vehicles with CNG.

Moreover, the Strategy will encourage the public to use CNG by reducing the cost of having one's car converted to run on CNG.

Facts about air pollution in Abu Dhabi:

About 70% of the carbon monoxide, 50% of the nitrogen oxide and 25% of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere comes from gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

Health hazards of vehicle emissions include heart disease, respiratory ailments and even risks of cancer.

How dangerous the emissions are from a car, depends on the type of vehicle, its age, how often it is maintained and what type of fuel it has been filled with. Old vehicles that aren't maintained enough or in an efficient manner, use more fuel and in turn pollute the air damaging the environment and health of the people.