CNG News: 02 August, 2010

Discount vouchers launched to encourage CNG conversions in Colombia

With an investment of 14.108 million pesos, Gas Natural, Transportadora de Gas Internacional (TGI), Ecopetrol and main service station chains in the country introduced 15,000 vouchers that will cover up to 50 percent of the vehicle conversion. Gas Natural will provide 31 percent, TGI 26 percent, Ecopetrol 31 percent, and CNG stations 13 percent. In addition, Gazel executives confirmed they will offer 1,000 million pesos. The discount applies to the conversion price, which includes the conversion kit, the value of labor, the process leading to conversion and the subsequent phase, listed in the certification of quality of specialized firms (Bureau Veritas, SGS, Cotecna and Icontec). Vouchers will be available in 40 workshops located in the central region of the country, including Bogotá and the surrounding municipalities, which meet quality requirements and also have technicians and mechanics qualified by the Sena (National Learning Service), reported manager of Gas Natural René Perea, who added that these coupons will be in effect for one year or until all available equipment runs out. For his part, gas manager of Ecopetrol Boris Villa, explained that the discount vouchers depend on the type of technology. The fifth-generation CNG system for both private and public service vehicles, involves a discount up to 2.2 million pesos, while there are vouchers from 900,000, corresponding to a conventional gas system. According to Perea, there are 100,000 vehicles running on CNG in Bogotá while there are 340,000 in the whole country. With the vouchers, he aims to reach the conversion of 8,000 units this year and 15,000 during 2011. G.E.T. Worldwide Ltd: CNG turnkey station - CNG oil free reciprocating compressor