Petrol engine vehicle owners will be able to halve their fuel costs by converting their car to run on gas.
Converting a car would cost between €700 and €1,300
This was revealed yesterday at the opening of Malta’s first LPG fuel pump at the Top Car service station, at the Malta International Airport.
Auto Liquigas, as the fuel has been branded, costs half as much as unleaded fuel and is significantly less polluting. It also claims to put less strain on a car engine.
Converting a car to run on such fuel would cost between €700 and €1,300 depending on the engine size, Liquigas chief operating officer Paul Agius Delicata explained.
He said that an average car was likely to recoup the initial conversion cost within 12 to 18 months, with drivers subsequently benefiting from the substantial savings offered by the fuel.
Liquigas intends to build a network of LPG-equipped service stations across Malta and Gozo, with a number of applications before the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.
“This exciting development ties in perfectly with the government’s pollution mitigation strategy,” Resources Minister George Pullicino said. EU member states, including Malta, have pledged to meet what are known as the 20-20-20 targets by 2020: a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 20 per cent increase in energy efficiency and the generation of 20 per cent of energy through renewable sources.
LPG fuel cuts emissions of particulate matter, carbon dioxide and mono-nitrogen oxides. Reductions in the latter were especially welcome, Mr Pullicino said.
He stressed the importance of conversions being carried out by qualified technicians licensed by the Malta Resources Authority. Two such technicians are already licensed for the procedure, with their details available on the MRA website.
Other garages are set to follow suit.
Converting a car to run on LPG fuel will effectively turn it into a dual-fuel vehicle, allowing the driver to alternate between unleaded petrol and LPG at the flick of a dashboard switch.
The fuel is now selling for 75c per litre, just under half the €1.51 per litre price of unleaded petrol. Prices were determined by the international price of gas, Liquigas CEO Roberto Capelluto said.
“Historically, the prices of oil and gas rise and fall in tandem, so we expect the price differential between LPG fuel and petrol to remain unchanged,” he said.
He urged the government to lead by example and convert its fleet of public administration vehicles to run on the cleaner, cheaper fuel.
The gas used in Auto Liquigas is the same as that sold in traditional gas cylinders. However, it has been given a distinct colour to distinguish it and dissuade would-be abusers from conflating the two.
Over seven million cars across the European continent already run on LPG fuel, making it the most used vehicle fuel after traditional unleaded petrol and diesel.