ANGVA 2009 Revisit – Donghae City, Korea, 19th – 20th May 2014 On his recent attendance to the Global NGV Seminar Korea 2014, 21 – 23rd May 2014 in Incheon, Korea, Executive Director of ANGVA took the opportunity to visit Donghae city, the location of the 3rd ANGVA Conference & Exhibition, ANGVA 2009, 27th – 29th October 2009. Donghae city is located in Gangwon Province on the east coast of Korea and is about 4 hours by bus from Incheon. The visit was hosted by Mr. Kevin Park, a founder member of ANGVA in 2003 and strong proponent and advocate of NGV. ANGVA 2009 was successfully hosted and organised by the city of Donghae with the dedication and hard work of the ANGVA 2009 Organising Committee and Team led by the then Mayor of Donghae city, Mr. Kim Hak Ki. It is also a city where the “Donghae Statement Towards a Low Carbon and Green Growth City” was jointly signed and issued by Mayor Kim and then President of ANGVA, Dr. Chitrapongse Kwangsukstith of PTT Plc Thailand. Top: Opening ceremony & signing of Donghae Statement Top: Welcoming ceremony for ANGVA by Mayor Kim and Dr. Chitrapongse at ANGVA 2009. Highways 2009 Team members by Mayor Kim. The legacy of ANGVA 2009 could be seen in Donghae city by three distinct landmarks which were visited by ANGVA Executive Director during the visit: 1. ANGVA Expo Centre This exhibition centre was built near the beach of Mangsang to host the exhibition for ANGVA 2009. Besides this the Mangsang Convention Center and Hotel was also build to host the conference and delegates of ANGVA 2009. The ANGVA Expo Centre now stands distinctively near the beach of Mangsang. Left & Bottom: ANGVA Expo Exhibition Centre 1 Top: ANGVA Expo Exhibition Centre Top: Mangsang Convention Centre & Hotel linked by a bridge to ANGVA Expo Centre 2. ANGVA 2009 Expo Park During the ANGVA 2009 event, an ANGVA 2009 Expo Park was developed by planting with trees to represent each of the exhibitors participated in ANGVA 2009. After 5 years the trees have grown to various sizes and the park is well maintained. Top & Right: The ANGVA 2009 Expo Park where trees were planted to represent each of the exhibitors at ANGVA 2009. Plaques marking the locations of the trees planted for exhibitors at the park – e.g. from top right: IMW (Canada), Lincoln Composites (USA), PTT Plc (Thailand), NGVI (Korea), and Sinoma (China). 2 3. KOGAS LCNG/LNG Refueling Station The KOGAS NGV Refuelling Station now dispenses both CNG and LNG to natural gas vehicles around the area and also CNG and LNG tourist buses from outstation that visited Donghea city / Mangsang beach during weekends and public holidays. City buses in Donghae city and nearby Gangneung city are also using CNG as fuel. Top: The KOGAS NGV Refuelling Station that was built to help promote NGV at ANGVA 2009, Donghae Visit to Chuncheon City On 20th June 2014, ANGVA Executive Director accompanied by Kevin Park make an informal visit to Chuncheon City to meet up with Mr. Cho Kyseok and Mr. Lee Wonok, formerly of the Environmental Division of Gangwon Provincial Government. Both played a key role in the successful bidding, hosting and organization of ANGVA 2009 in Donghae city. Mr. Cho Kyseok is now the Director-General of the Gangwon Headquarters for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games and Mr. Lee Wonok is the Manager. The PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic will take place 9th – 25th February 2018 in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province. There is good opportunity for natural gas vehicles esp. CNG and LNG buses and taxis to be used at this event. A Biomethane Plant which is currently under construction in Wonju city, near PyeongChang , could also be used to supply biomethane to these natural gas vehicles. Top: Kevin Park and his CNG car that was used for the visits to Donghae city & Chuncheon city. Top: NGV Refuelling station in Chuncheon city. Left & Top Left: CNG city bus and intercity CNG bus in operation in Chuncheon city Right: Kevin Park and Lee Giok Seng on the way to Chuncheon from Donghae, driving through the mountainous region of Gangwon Province. Reported by Lee Giok Seng, ANGVA Executive Director, 20th June 2014. 3.