The European LPG industry's event聽of the year, the聽AEGPL鈥檚 LPG Exhibition and Conference, began in the聽German capital Berlin on Wednesday and will run until Thursday.
AEGPL is comprised of national LPG associations, representing the main European LPG suppliers, distributors and equipment manufacturers. The annual event聽brings the聽industry together with global leaders, buyers and suppliers.聽
The first day of the congress on Wednesday held a discussion session on the聽overview of the international LPG market as well as discussions on聽new opportunities, public聽policy content聽and聽challenges which the LPG market faces聽globally.
"The future European Energy Union shares many features with the聽liquefied petroleum gas聽industry," said Paul Ladner, the European LPG Association, AEGPL鈥榮 President on the first day of the conference on聽Wednesday.
"The European Union labels the Energy Union as an effort to 'ensure secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy for citizens and businesses.聽Using energy more wisely and fighting climate change is not only an investment in our children's future, it will also create new jobs and growth,'" Ladner said and added that when he considers the Energy Union's aims, he sees a correlation between it and the goals of the LPG industry.聽
Ladner, who was elected as the President of the AEGLP on Monday, said the AEGLP as an industry is committed to optimizing LPG鈥檚 role in the transition towards a more climate-friendly energy model.
"Precisely because we share the views of the European Commission in that we are not only responsible for the world we live in, but also the world we leave for our children and their children,"聽Ladner said.
He聽added that聽LPG brings direct and concrete benefits not only to individual consumers, but also to a multitude of businesses聽in the聽majority of small and medium sized enterprises, which are at the core of the European economy.
On Thursday,聽Gunther Oettinger, the former European Commissioner for Energy聽will speak聽on LPG and its role in the European market. The congress will also discuss good practices and聽opportunities for growth.
The congress will hold聽an 鈥楨xceptional Energy Stage鈥櫬爓here exhibitioners will present聽new LPG technologies and聽initiatives.
Six million homes in Europe rely on LPG for central and water heating.
LPG is low-carbon alternative to conventional fossil fuels. Its combustion emits 33 percent less CO2 than coal and 15 percent less than heating oil, according to the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management.
As a testament to the growth of LPG, figures for the use of LPG in vehicles, known as autogas, have聽grown in Europe between 2012 and 2013,聽from 12.7 million to聽13.4 million聽vehicles,聽according to the World LPG Association.
- Turkey and LPG
Turkey鈥檚 Energy and Natural Resources Ministry plans to deliver聽LPG to eleven cities out of its聽eighty-one聽by 2016, according to Turkey鈥檚 new 2015-2019 Energy Strategic Plan. Additionally, Turkish electricity power plants will use LPG as a main fuel.
LPG operates聽121 gas turbines throughout聽the world,聽19 of which聽are located in Turkey.聽
Most automobiles in Turkey use LPG聽instead of gasoline for fuel, according to data released by Turkish Statistical Institute (Turkstat).
LPG-fuelled cars聽increased by 3.2 million聽in the last ten years since 2004, while聽gasoline-fuelled cars decreased by 1.2 million聽during the same period.
LPG is the聽preferred fuel in Turkey because of its price advantages. Gasoline and diesel fuels have taxes levied聽making these fuels less attractive to聽Turkish consumers who pay one of the most expensive gasoline and diesel fuel prices compared聽to the rest of the聽world.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
murat.temizer@aa.com.tr