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 - Abundant local natural gas reserves
- 39 CNG refuelling stations and 14,700 NGV's currently
- Heavy duty programs currently under development
- CNG half the price of petrol
- Target of 94 refuelling sites and 57,000 vehicles by 2009
Malaysia’s gas reserves stand at approximately 82.5 trillion standard
cubic feet (as at January 1, 2005). Gas production has grown into a
huge industry, with gas utilised for export, feedstock and as an energy
source. PETRONAS, the National Oil Corporation has been championing
the development of Natural Gas for Vehicles (NGV) in the country. The
key driving factors for pushing NGV are energy utilisation and
environment.
NGV Development
In 1995, PETRONAS established a wholly owned subsidiary, PETRONAS NGV
Sdn. Bhd. (PNGV), to undertake the development and commercialisation of
NGV in Malaysia. PNGV’s major task is the construction of CNG
refuelling outlets in targeted urban areas. These refuelling outlets
are mainly constructed where piped natural gas is available and where
the air quality is deteriorating due to vehicle exhaust emissions.
 | One of several tube trailers which service the Petronas network of mother-daughter stations
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Currently, there are 39 PETRONAS service stations in Malaysia providing
CNG refuelling facilities to a population of around 14,700 natural gas
vehicles. Of the total, 32 stations are located in Kuala Lumpur, 4 in
Johore, 1 in Penang and 2 stations are in Seremban. PNGV is in the
midst of setting up more CNG refuelling facilities, as part of its
on-going expansion programme. CNG is supplied to these stations via
natural gas distribution pipelines, where available, as well as via
road trailers (mother-daughter system).
Bi-fuel vehicles dominate the natural gas vehicle population in
Malaysia with the users mainly being city taxis. The only OEM
operating on the road currently is the Enviro 2000 NGV Taxis, the
exception being a few units of the NGV Mercedes Vito in operation.
 | Enviro Taxis refuel at a Petronas outlet
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PETRONAS undertook a major initiative by jointly manufacturing (with a
company in France) 1,000 units of the Enviro 2000 NGV Taxis in 1998.
Developed according to international standards, the Enviro 2000 is made
of advanced composite material that is light, durable and strong. The
taxis are specially designed for the comfort of passengers by providing
a spacious and comfortable interior with rear and forward facing seats
for up to five passengers.
PNGV is now moving towards the use of NGV for heavy-duty vehicles
specifically buses and trucks. Currently there is one MAN CNG bus in
operation in Putrajaya (Malaysia's Federal Administrative Capital).
Two Daewoo buses are currently being prepared for
operation.
Government Support
Government support for NGV development is reflected by the exemption of
duty on the sale of CNG. This has made it possible to price CNG at
63.5 sen/litre equivalent of petrol (US 16.7 cent/litre equivalent),
about half the price of unleaded petrol. The retail price of the
various automotive fuels in the country is shown below.
Retail Prices of Various Automotive
Fuel in Malaysia
|
Fuel
|
RM
(sen/litre)
|
USD
(cent/litre)
|
|
Gasoline
|
142
|
37.3
|
|
Diesel
|
83.1
|
21.8
|
|
CNG
|
63.5
|
16.7
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The government has also exempted the
import duty and sales tax on NGV conversion kits to reduce the capital
cost of vehicle owners, thus reducing the payback period for the
conversion. In addition, NGV users also enjoy a reduction in road
tax (from the prevailing rates) of up to 25% for bi-fuel and dual-fuel
vehicles and 50% for monofuel natural gas vehicles. To further promote
the industry, the government has granted an accelerated capital
allowance for purchase of monofuel natural gas buses and the
construction of CNG outlets.
PETRONAS NGV works closely with the industry to achieve its objective
in promoting the development of NGV and its technology in the
country. PETRONAS NGV targets to have a total of 94 CNG refueling
outlets around the country capable of serving about 57,000 natural gas
vehicles by the year 2009.
ANGVA 2005 Conference & Exhibition
Malaysia has been chosen to host the inaugural Asia Pacific Natural
Gas Vehicles Association Conference & Exhibition (ANGVA 2005), from
26th July to 28th July 2005. PETRONAS, the Malaysian Gas
Association and ANGVA are jointly organising this event. The
event is targeted to provide a platform for fostering stronger
collaboration and sharing of knowledge and innovative ideas among
participants from all over the world. More information www.ANGVA2005.com
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