Gazprom Transgaz, which proposed a project for the construction and 24/7 operation of compressed natural gas refuelling stations in Arkhangelsk Region, has become the 200th resident of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, under an agreement with the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation.

'Our project will reduce the negative impact of road transport on the environment, as well as cut the cost of fuel and lubricants for both business and private car owners, who are equally interested in the matter. Natural gas is about two or three times cheaper than petrol, and 2.5 times cheaper than diesel fuel. We are already preparing to make our plans a reality. We've purchased the necessary land plots. We are also working on establishing sanitary protection zones, in accordance with the requirements that urban planning legislation contains in relation to CNG refuelling stations. In the nearest future, our plans for such zones will be sent for approval to the Russian Sanitary and Epidemiological Service and the Rospotrebnadzor government agency,' comments Alexander Sudakov, CEO of Gazprom Transgaz.

Compared to petrol engines, natural gas, which is extracted from deep underground, emits lower quantities of harmful exhausts, specifically half the amount of carbon monoxide (CO). That is what makes Gazprom Transgaz's project compliant with the Expanding the Use of Natural Gas as an Engine Fuel government programme, adopted in accordance with the Instruction of the President of the Russian Federation No. PR-743, on the Development of the Russian Engine Fuel Market (dated 18 May, 2018), and the Russian Automotive Industry Development Strategy for 2025 (Instruction of the Russian Government No. 831-R, dated 28.04.2018).

Three CNG refuelling stations will be located in the cities of Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk, as well as in the Primorsky District of Arkhangelsk Region. They will operate 24/7. According to preliminary calculations of the AZRF resident, the stations will service up to 2,000 vehicles per day.

The investor is ready to support the project with over RUB 450 mn and create at least 100 jobs.

According to the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation, the residents of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation have already entered 200 agreements and are planning to execute projects with a budget over RUB 270.8 bn, with jobs for approximately 9 thousand people. The process of becoming an AZRF resident has been greatly simplified. You can apply for residency via the Arctic Russia portal.