The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla has opened the first mobile center for converting vehicles to operate on CNG as part of the country’s efforts to expand reliance on clean and cheap energy. The facility includes all components and kits for conversion, a statement by the Ministry said, describing it as the first of its kind in Egypt and the Middle East.
The center, owned by the Egyptian International Company for Gas Technology (GasTech), can convert about 20 cars daily. Equipped with all the necessary equipment and experienced staff, it can move to companies and institutions and provide the service at their places. It can also move to provide maintenance and repair services.
The new conversion workshop is one of the innovative solutions to support the ministry’s plan to endorse the presidential initiative to convert vehicles’ engines to run on natural gas instead of, or along with, gasoline, according to the Minister El-Molla.
The presidential plan – which also includes replacing rickety cars with new ones with CNG bi-fuel system models – targets to reduce fuel imports, decrease harmful emissions, ensure road safety, and tap into the potential of under-exploited auto factories. It also targets to make use of the country’s plentiful natural gas production resulting from recent oil discoveries.
Minister El-Molla said that work is currently underway to increase the conversion rate to 100,000 cars yearly since the current rate hovers at around 6,700 vehicles monthly (nearly 80,000 annually), according to the statement.
The increase in the number of converted cars is accompanied by an increase in the number of centers for conversion and maintenance operations, as well as of natural gas fueling stations. Currently, Egypt has 800 CNG stations nationwide, with plans to increase them to 1,000 soon.
The ministry also targets increasing mobile conversion centers to roll out such services to more citizens and companies, reported the Egyptian newspaper Ahram.
