7,000 filling stations register autogas dispensation

Around 7,000 additional filling stations nationwide have enlisted to dispense autogas, encompassing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for vehicles.

On Monday, it was revealed that oil marketers have engaged Asian manufacturers of conversion kits, enabling vehicles that traditionally run on Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to switch to LPG, LNG, and CNG. This move has piqued the interest of more retail outlet owners, prompting them to register for dispensing autogas.

Earlier, in June this year, The PUNCH exclusively reported that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria had initiated the conversion of about 800 tankers to transport autogas to select filling stations.

Currently, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria has witnessed a surge in registrations, with 7,000 PETROAN members preparing to dispense autogas. The President of PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, emphasized their engagement with Asian partners, especially from India, who manufacture the required conversion kits for LPG, LNG, and CNG.

Gillis-Harry also suggested that the government should invest in consistent vehicle conversion to gas rather than providing direct financial assistance to vulnerable households. He believes such initiatives would reduce the dependency on PMS, slow down petrol imports due to limited forex, and alleviate the high cost of petrol.

With 7,000 retail outlets already registering for conversion centers, PETROAN seeks government support to make funds available for the conversion projects. Collaborating with their partner company capable of producing 70,000 conversion kits monthly, they aspire to convert hundreds of thousands of vehicles to run on gas within the next three to six months.