Gas cylinder test results in by tomorrow

The results of a final round of tests on a batch of inferior gas cylinders, carried out in Italy, are expected to be in by tomorrow, an Enemalta spokesman said yesterday.

The final conclusions will be published as soon as they are available.

Enemalta said it was doing its utmost to minimise any inconvenience that may be caused to customers by the expected shortage of gas cylinders following the withdrawal from the market of cylinders that do not comply with EU standards.

The shortage is expected because Enemalta's reserve stock is almost wholly made up of the inferior cylinders. The company is now awaiting a new consignment.

On Thursday, Enemalta and the Investments Ministry announced that the company was embarking on a gradual withdrawal of gas cylinders from households following tests which showed that some of the cylinders were not up to EU-established standards.

However, it was emphasised that the gas cylinders being withdrawn were not unsafe. In fact, these had never failed porosity tests which Enemalta runs on each cylinder that is filled. It was the destructible tests on the cylinders - of which Enemalta had bought 30,000 in three consignments - which showed that the cylinder quality levels were below those agreed between Enemalta and the supplier.

Although they were not dangerous, the government decided to withdraw all the cylinders from the market as a precaution. However, people who have these cylinders - which can be distinguished by the red Enemalta logo on the side - should continue using them until they run out, when they would be picked up by gas distributors.