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By Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo, Reporter
TRANSFORMING the Philippines’
last-mile public transport solution into an environment-friendly
system will require a huge amount of investments, according to a
US-based company.
On the sidelines of the
Compressed Natural Gas–Natural Gas Vehicle (CNG-NGV) Philippines
Forum, Lev Zaidenberg, Energtek Inc. chief operating officer, said
on Wednesday that the conversion of half a million tricycles for
compressed natural gas (CNG) use and the construction of refilling
stations for the alternative fuel would require an investment of
over $100 million.
Energtek is a US-based company
engaged in the development and commercialization of natural gas
technology. The company is converting tricycles in the Philippines
as “requested” by the government.
The company expects to initially
convert 10 tricycles in September and an additional 3,000 units by
2009. Energtek converted the first batch of tricycles into CNG use
last month in Isabela and sourced the natural gas from the San
Antonio field of the Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC).
Zaidenberg said Energtek aims to
complete the conversion of half a million tricycles in the next
three to four years to help drivers take advantage of CNG, which
costs roughly less than a third of current gasoline prices and
produces cleaner emissions than its fossil fuel counterpart.
“The effects of the emissions
reductions will be immediately felt throughout the Philippines. In
addition to the environmental benefit, drivers of tricycles will
save hundreds of dollars each year on fuel costs using CNG Lite™,”
he added.
Energtek’s CNG Lite™ is a
proprietary conversion and supply system that allows tricycle owners
to convert highly polluting two-stroke engines into environmentally
sound ones.
The executive said that the
conversion of a tricycle costs around $500, with a payback of a
little over a year.
He said Energtek is “arranging
micro financing for the drivers” to help them convert their
tricycles.
But due to the country’s archi-pelagic
formation, the supply of CNG in areas far from the fuel’s
production sites will be a problem. Energtek will kick off its
conversion projects over the next several months in the provinces of
Cebu and Batangas, as well as in the Metro Manila.
Zaidenberg said the company is in
talks with the Malampaya natural gas consortium for the possibility
of a gas supply agreement for the transport sector.
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