Govt aiming for chain of C.N.G. filling stations

Press, 29 December 1979, Page 2

Govt aiming for chain of C.N.G. filling stations

PA Wellington Mor* than 30 compressed natural gas refuelling stations will be strung between Wellington and Auckland by the end of next year under the Government’s C.N.G. conversion programme. The number could well be much higher. A steady stream of applications to set up the stations is being received by the Ministry of Energy. The Minister of Energy (Mr Birch) said that getting stations built along the natural gas pipeline would be one of the programme's top priorities in 1980. About 30 stations had been approved this week but he would like to see more opening before the end of 1980. at least one in every sizeable town. “Getting the filling stations in place raises in turn a host of questions about metering, sales of C.N.G., and the use of high-pressure mains,” said Mr Birch. “It also raises the question of a standard price for C.N.G. I am not persuaded

1 this is necessary but there is a feeling in the industry that I it would be helpful.” Mr Birch said the C.N.G. i programme's second priority - for 1980 was to have a conr. version system established 1. to deal with 30,000 cars a ■year. e: The actual conversion tar-] 1 y get for 1980 was much' t i lower at 4000 cars but plan- ] -•ning for the bigger number j f meant that many fleet ve-| hides could be. converted y rapidly after 1981. g The Government wanted] - to see fleet vehicles cone verted ahead of private cars. ; plThey represented only 15 i per cent of car numbers but d used 40 per cent of petrol, it i Mr Birch was confident e the Government’s target of if having 150.000 cars con-1 y: verted to C.N.G. by 1985. would be met. “Enormous] -■ progress” had been made i since the target had been] t announced in July. “It must be obvious to I e everyone that moving to i iC.N.G. gives us greater se-• -icurity and brings savings in] r’foreign exchange,” Mr Birch: ilsaid.