Gazprom Optimises Czech CNG Business

Gazprom has closed two under-utilised compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations in Hodinin and Pelhrimov in the Czech Republic, while expanding two stations in Kolin Opava, in order to optimise its business, the company's export arm said in a statement on June 4.

Gazprom plans to bring two more CNG stations into operation in the country by the year, along with additional ones in 2021, it said.

"The gas mobility in the Czech Republic is a clear success story with steadily growing sales volumes over the last 15 years and one of the best CNG station networks in Europe," Gazprom's branch manager for its Czech gas transport business, commented. "Together with a continuous political support – like the recently approved National Action Plan for Clean Mobility – and the attractiveness of gas vehicles especially for the environmentally important public transport and logistics, we see a big potential for CNG and LNG in the Czech Republic."

Gazprom wants to develop CNG sales in Europe as a hedge against weaker growth in its conventional gas sales on the continent. It currently operates 47 CNG stations in Germany and another 16 in the Czech Republic.