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The Silk Way International Rally 2019 came to a close today in the city of Dunhuang, China. The gas-powered KAMAZ crew led by Sergey Kupriyanov finished among the top five in the truck category.
The category featured 15 trucks produced by domestic and foreign companies, such as KAMAZ, GAZ, MAZ, Renault, HINO, DAF, and IVECO. The KAMAZ truck was the only vehicle powered by natural gas.
The route of the rally passed through Russia, Mongolia, and China. Within ten days, the racers covered more than 5,000 kilometers, overcoming extremely challenging sections in taiga forests, steppes, and a desert.
By decision of the Silk Way Rally’s organizing committee, the crew of Sergey Kupriyanov was awarded a special prize for its contribution to environmental protection.
“The gas-powered KAMAZ has once again successfully withstood a severe challenge. We have proven that NGVs are powerful, reliable, and environmentally friendly,” said Sergey Kupriyanov.
Background
The production and marketing of natural gas (methane) as a vehicle fuel is one of Gazprom’s priorities. A special-purpose company, Gazprom Gazomotornoye Toplivo, was established for ensuring the continuous development of the NGV market.
Today, Gazprom has more than 300 NGV refueling facilities across Russia.
Natural gas is one of the most eco-friendly and cost-effective motor fuels, with up to 10 times less hazardous emissions compared to other fuels, and with an average price of about RUB 16 per cubic meter. Gazprom established a special brand name, EcoGas, for natural gas sold at the Company-owned filling stations.
The gas-fueled KAMAZ is a special model of a sports truck powered by compressed natural gas. The project was initiated in 2013 by the KAMAZ-Master team with the support of Gazprom and VTB Bank. The year 2019 saw the third modification of the vehicle participating in the race. The project’s goal is to demonstrate the benefits of using natural gas as a vehicle fuel.
The Silk Way International Rally 2019 kicked off on July 6 in Irkutsk. Gazprom was a general partner in the race.
