The Egyptian government has announced its plans to triple the number of gas filling stations in the country from 190 to 556 in 2020.
Earlier this year, President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi of Egypt said licensing of vehicles will be conditional on cars that possess natural gas engines. This is part of the government’s five-year national programme to convert 1.8 million cars to run on both natural gas and gasoline.
The initiative is aimed at providing low-interest loans through Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Agency to owners of vehicles that are over 20 years old to aid them to purchase a new dual-fuel vehicle. Zero-interest finance will also be granted to owners of new vehicles to enable them to purchase new engines.
The national conversion project follows up on a 2009 similar scheme that set out to replace 70,000 old taxicabs with zero-interest loan new vehicles that will have dual-fuel engines.
For the successful implementation of this project, the Egyptian International Gas Technology (Gastec), who currently runs 100 out of the 190 natural gas filling stations has a major role to play. To this end, the joint-stock company affiliated to the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum plans to open 23 new natural gas filling stations and five integrated natural gas and gasoline stations in 2020.
Gastec was established in June 1996 according to the Egyptian Investment Law #8 of 1997 on the Investment Guarantees and Incentives with 60% participation of Egyptian companies and 40% of ENI International B.V.
Car manufacturers in the country have also shown an interest in playing their part in the implementation of the policy. Toyota will be manufacturing 240,000 natural gas-powered minibuses and Volkswagen has also announced it will be producing natural gas cars in the country. 11 global auto companies were also said to have been approached by The Arab Organisation for Industrialisation to partner with them on the replacement of diesel buses with natural gas-powered vehicles.
The cheapest litre of 80-octane gasoline cost $0.39 while the same volume of natural gas cost $0.21. The programme is part of the Egyptian government’s effort to utilise natural gas in the country. It is aimed at improving the cost of living by through affordable and accessible energy.
%20Development%20Agency%20to%20owners%20of%20vehicles%20that%20are%20over%2020%20years%20old%20to%20aid%20them%20to%20purchase%20a%20new%20dual-fuel%20vehicle.%20Zero-interest%20finance%20will%20also%20be%20granted%20to%20owners%20of%20new%20vehicles%20to%20enable%20them%20to%20purchase%20new%20engines.The%20national%20conversion%20project%20follows%20up%20on%20a%202009%20similar%20scheme%20that%20set%20out%20to%20replace%2070,000%20old%20taxicabs%20with%20zero-interest%20loan%20new%20vehicles%20that%20will%20have%20dual-fuel%20engines.For%20the%20successful%20implementation%20of%20this%20project,%20the%20strongEgyptian%20International%20Gas%20Technology%20(Gastec)/strong,%20who%20currently%20runs%20100%20out%20of%20the%20190%20natural%20gas%20filling%20stations%20has%20a%20major%20role%20to%20play.%20To%20this%20end,%20the%20joint-stock%20company%20affiliated%20to%20the%20Egyptian%20Ministry%20of%20Petroleum%20plans%20to%20open%2023%20new%20natural%20gas%20filling%20stations%20and%20five%20integrated%20natural%20gas%20and%20gasoline%20stations%20in%202020.strongGastec/strong%20was%20established%20in%20June%201996%20according%20to%20the%20Egyptian%20Investment%20Law%20#8%20of%201997%20on%20the%20Investment%20Guarantees%20and%20Incentives%20with%2060%%20participation%20of%20Egyptian%20companies%20and%2040%%20of%20ENI%20International%20B.V.Car%20manufacturers%20in%20the%20country%20have%20also%20shown%20an%20interest%20in%20playing%20their%20part%20in%20the%20implementation%20of%20the%20policy.%20strongToyota/strong%20will%20be%20manufacturing%20240,000%20natural%20gas-powered%20minibuses%20and%20Volkswagen%20has%20also%20announced%20it%20will%20be%20producing%20natural%20gas%20cars%20in%20the%20country.%2011%20global%20auto%20companies%20were%20also%20said%20to%20have%20been%20approached%20by%20The %20Arab%20Organisation%20for%20Industrialisation%20to%20partner%20with%20them%20on%20the%20replacement%20of%20diesel%20buses%20with%20natural%20gas-powered%20vehicles.The%20cheapest%20litre%20of%2080-octane%20gasoline%20cost%20$0.39%20while%20the%20same%20volume%20of%20natural%20gas%20cost%20$0.21.%20The%20programme%20is%20part%20of%20the%20Egyptian%20government’s%20effort%20to%20utilise%20natural%20gas%20in%20the%20country.%20It%20is%20aimed%20at%20improving%20the%20cost%20of%20living%20by%20through%20affordable%20and%20accessible%20energy.a%20href=https://ibekachikwu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/d2503b61-16b7-4a8e-bd80-6567331924fb.jpgimg%20class=size-medium%20wp-image-2354%20aligncenter%20src=https://ibekachikwu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/d2503b61-16b7-4a8e-bd80-6567331924fb-300x237.jpg%20alt=%20width=300%20height=237%20//a){kind=link}