Petron mulls 10 alternative fuel stations

In response to government’s call for the use of alternative fuels in the transport sector, Petron Corp. will put up 10 autogas stations this year, a ranking company official said.

Petron president Khalid Al-Faddagh said they expect to complete the construction of two new autogas stations by end February this year.

He said some stations will be put up within the key cities of Metro Manila such as Parañaque, Makati, Mandaluyong and Quezon City.

The first autogas station will be located in Bel-Air, along Buendia Ave. in Makati City.

The company is set to spend at least P1 million to add an autogas pumping facility in an existing gas station.

The oil firm official said they are also looking at the possibility of putting up an autogas station in Cebu City.

Al-Faddagh said they are in talks with a number of taxi operators for tie-ups in the autogas facility. "We are working out a scheme where we can also put an autogas refilling station within the operators’ headquarters."

The Department of Energy (DOE) is expected to release soon the guidelines that would govern the use of autogas in the transport sector.

Autogas-run vehicles normally utilize liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Conversion to autogas-fit engine may cost about P26,000 to P28,000.

Earlier, Eastern Petroleum Corp. (EPC) signified interest to enter into the autogas refilling business, the first independent oil player to express its intention to enter the autogas market.

Aside from Petron and EPC, major oil refiner Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. has also started marketing autogas. Shell is committed to put up four dispensing pumps of autogas.

Taxi fleets Basic and Freedom are already using autogas. About 70 more vehicles are now running on autogas, with 50 of these belonging to the Emerson Taxi group in Cebu. DOE estimates to have 1,500 autogas by the end of the 2013.

In 1999, when the Clean Air Act was passed, government encouraged the use of autogas, which emits negligible levels of toxic carbon monoxide.