Domestic NGV usage skyrocketted

BANGKOK, 7 October 2009 (NNT) – The state-owned oil and gas conglomerate PTT reported that there were currently about 155,000 cars relying on the natural gas in the country and the sale volume of NGV have increased to 3,900 tonnes daily.

Mr Punnachai Futrakul, PPT Manager in charge of supervising the natural gas market for vehicles, stated that about 100 vehicles, in particular trucks and brand new cars installed NGV engines on a daily basis. He said the firm had not raised its sales target of the natural gas for this year despite the Cabinet’s approval on NGV engines installation in 30,000 taxis and the leasing of 4,000 NGV public buses.

Mr Punnachai elaborated further that the company had requested the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) to speed up searching for locations for establishing 14 new NGV filling stations as each of the new natural gas buses normally required about 100 kilogrammes of petrol per day, adding that the PTT presently belonged to the major four “Super Stations” including on Kanchanapisek, Rom Klao and both sides of Phahon Yothin roads for handling more than 5,000 vehicles and provide 230 tonnes of NGV per day. In addition, the PTT Manager said the firm set its plan to set up additional two “super stations” on Rama IX and Kamphaeng Phet roads.