Economic effects of use of compressed natural gas in the road economic traffic in the Republic of Croatia

S počecima industrijalizacije čovjek je u sferi prometa prestao biti ovisan o životinjskoj ili vlastitoj snazi za kretanje, ali je postao ovisan o energentu koji pokreće motorno vozilo. Cestovni promet u Hrvatskoj i zemljama Europske unije dominantna je kategorija prometa za koji se gotovo u potpunosti koriste derivati nafte te je nastavak korištenja istih ujedno i nastavak energetske ovisnosti o nafti i nastavak zagađivanja okoliša. Zbog toga je Europska unija donijela direktive o promicanju čistih i energetski učinkovitih vozila u cestovnom prijevozu te uspostavi infrastrukture za alternativna goriva koje su na odgovarajući inkorporirane u nacionalno zakonodavstvo Republike Hrvatske s namjerom postupnog prelaska na vozila bez emisija ugljičnog dioksida i štetnih čestica i spojeva. Prekid europske ovisnosti o nafti i smanjenje štetnog utjecaja cestovnog prometa na okoliš dugoročni je cilj koji zahtjeva prijelazno rješenje pri čemu se korištenje stlačenog prirodnog plina (SPP) nameće kao idealno sa svojim i ekološkim i ekonomskim prednostima u odnosu na postojeće stanje. Analizom mreže cesta i autocesta u Hrvatskoj te gradskih aglomeracija moguće je odrediti broj i lokacije smještaja budućih punionica no važno je da veće jedinice lokalne samouprave nabave vozila za javni gradski prijevoz i vozila za komunalne potrebe te izgrade barem jednu punionicu kako bi se potaknuo trend značajnijeg povećanja udjela vozila pokretanih SPP-om. Usporedbom autobusa istih karakteristika pogonjenih dizelskim gorivom i SPP-om, ušteda troškova korištenjem SPP- a je na razini 15%, dok je ušteda za komunalna vozila još i veća. Ekonomsko- financijskom analizom investicije u gradsku punionicu koja bi uz vozila javnog autobusnog prijevoza i komunalna vozila opskrbljivala i vozila u vlasništvu privatnih osoba po cijeni na razini prosjeka zemalja EU, dolazi se do zaključka da je za pretpostavljenu flotu vozila izgradnja isplativa već i bez ikakvih financijskih poticaja. U postojećem ekonomsko-pravnom okviru u Republici Hrvatskoj moguće je izgraditi dostatnu mrežu punionica SPP-om, značajno povećati broj vozila pokretanih SPP-om i ostvariti i ekonomsku korist i doprinijeti zaštiti okoliša. Konkretna analiza hipotetske gradske punionice SPP-om dokazala je izuzetno visoku isplativost ovakvog jednog projekta, a analiza u okviru ovog rada pokazala je i šire koristi i za gospodarstvo gradova i cijelo nacionalno gospodarstvo.From the beginnings of industrialization, man has ceased to be dependent on animal or his own power to move in the sphere of traffic, but has become dependent on the energy that drives the motor vehicle. Road traffic in Croatia and the EU countries is the dominant category of transport for which oil derivatives are used in general and the continuation of their use is also a continuation of energy dependence on oil and continuation of the environmental pollution. For this reason, the European Union has adopted directives on the promotion of clean and energy efficient vehicles in road transport and the establishment of infrastructure for alternative fuels that are appropriately incorporated in national legislation of the Republic of Croatia with the intent to gradually replace to vehicles without carbon dioxide emissions and pollutants. The interruption of European dependence on oil and the reduction of the adverse impacts of road transport on the environment is a long-term goal that requires a transitional solution whereby the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) is ideally suited to its ecological and economic advantages in relation to the existing state. By analyzing the network of roads and motorways and urban agglomerations in Croatia, it is possible to determine the number and locations of future CNG filling stations, but it is important that authorities of larger cities decide to procure CNG vehicles for public transport and utility vehicles and build at least one CNG filling station to stimulate the trend of significant increase share of vehicles driven by CNG. By comparing the buses of the same characteristics powered by diesel fuel and CNG, the cost saving using CNG is at the level of 15%, while the saving for utility vehicles is even higher. The economic and financial analysis of the investment in the city CNG filling station that would supply at CNG EU- average price public transport busses, utility vehicles and private CNG vehicles would lead to the conclusion that for the presumed fleet of vehicles construction of CNG filling station is cost-effective even without any financial incentives. In the existing economic and legal framework in the Republic of Croatia, there is possibility to build a sufficient number of CNG filling stations, to significantly increase the number of vehicles driven by the CNG and to achieve economic benefits and contribute to environmental protection. Concrete analysis of the hypothetical city CNG filling station proved the exceptionally high profitability of this kind of project, and the analysis in this paper has also shown wider benefits for the economy of cities and the entire national economy