Fuel conversion for cars urged

BANDUNG (JP): Conversion from gasoline to natural gas will reduce emission from cars by over 50 percent, State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja says.

Sarwono said Saturday he realized alternative fuel was in demand in Bandung when he heard that some 50 minibuses had been converted to use the liquefied gas commonly used in the kitchen.

The conversions were done by experts from the Bandung Institute of Technology, but the cars did not have a special tank.

He said the use of kitchen LPG was proof of the car owners' creativity in improvising to save money.

He said a taxi driver, by using gas, could save about Rp 60,000 a month in maintenance and fuel costs. However, cars using LPG needed to be specially designed for accident prevention.

The minister was backed by an official of the Environmental Impact Management Agency, Margana Koesoemadinata, who said using natural gas in cars could lower emission up to 70 percent.

The officials were attending a treaty signing involving the West Java provincial government and the supplier of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) fuel, PT Otogas.

The company has agreed to build three LPG filling stations in Bandung, and one in each mayoralty in West Java, as part of the "Blue Sky" Campaign to reduce air pollution throughout Indonesia.

Research has found that 67 percent of the air pollution in Jakarta is caused by car fumes. Therefore, the campaign emphasizes lowering car emissions by promoting alternative fuels, including Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and LPG.

Some 4,000 taxis have had their fuel systems converted to use CNG, and LPG in Jakarta.

The campaign has also been launched in Bali and Surabaya. Director of PT Otogas Kris Sulisto said that LPG was more popular in cities outside Jakarta, where people have used CNG.

"LPG could be kept in a storage, making it more convenient to deliver to remote areas," Kris added.

According to Kris, the company has spent Rp 4 billion (US$1,68 million) building filling stations and converting cars across the country.

The company expects to reach its breakeven point in five years, he said.

Ten new filling stations will be added to the three already built in Jakarta by the end of the year. (02)