By Denise Caputo

Vehicle Natural Gas (CNG) is considered a more efficient fuel than gasoline, ethanol and diesel. Specialists argue that, in addition to being more economical, it is also less polluting. The guidelines for encouraging the use of this fuel in the Federal District are provided for in Law No. 7,056/2022, published in the Official Gazette of the DF this Thursday (6).

The rule, authored by deputy Leandro Grass (Rede), aims to encourage adherence to NGV in public and private transport, for the purposes of sustainable economic and environmental development of the DF. The guidelines provided by law are:

– Establishment of partnerships with local educational institutions for research related to the sustainable use of CNG;

– Establishment of criteria, in the public notices for the concession of road transport in the Federal District, that guarantee that part of the fleet is driven by CNG;

– Establishment of incentives to expand the supply of CNG in the Federal District;

– Incentive to promote and generate jobs in the development of technology related to the rational and sustainable use of CNG;

– Tax incentives for companies and consumers that use CNG;

– Promotion of local industry and commerce focused on the CNG chain, including equipment and vehicles.

According to the Brazilian Association of Piped Gas Distributors (Abegás), natural gas is the cleanest of fossil fuels and has characteristics that favor the durability of the vehicles that use it. CNG, explains the entity, is a mixture of light hydrocarbons, including methane (CH3), and its combustion is complete, resulting in the release of two non-toxic products: carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor.

The author of the proposal in the Legislative Chamber argues that “in order to obtain continuous and lasting economic development, the Federal District must act prospectively and encourage good economic and sustainable practices, in order to protect the environment”. For Grass, the use of CNG – mainly due to the huge deposits existing on the Brazilian maritime platform – “can and should be encouraged”.