All pumped up for clean energy

Some things that should have been done so many years ago, and yet are deployed just now. Well, we’ll catch up, and get there.

-----

WORLD’S LARGEST CNG STATION

Union Energy to roll out 2,000 new CNG taxis over the next couple of years

 

TIMOTHY OUYANG

timothyouyang@mediacorp.com.sg

 

IT’S said to be the world’s largest compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling station and it will open its doors to Singapore motorists in August.

Located along Old Toh Tuck Road off Bukit Timah, the 7,000-square-metre development will stay open round the clock and will be able to refuel up to 46 vehicles at any one time. The station, to be named C-Nergy, is Union Energy’s first foray into CNG, and the gas supplier is pumping $11 million to grow the compressed natural gas market here.

Speaking to Channel News Asia at the station’s groundbreaking ceremony yesterday, Union Energy general manager Ellen Teo said: “We have another related company dealing with taxis. So, this is good synergy between the two businesses.”

Its related company, TransCab, operates some 2,600 taxis — 500 of which run on CNG. And the new station will help service TransCab’s increasing fleet of CNG taxis, as the company plans to roll out another 2,000 new taxis over the next one to two years.

The station will be Singapore’s fifth — three are in operation with a fourth expected to open in Serangoon North this month.

Industry watchers said that the Republic needs more such stations to support the running of CNG cars on Singapore’s roads. They estimate that about 10 stations would be needed to refuel some 30,000 CNG cars in the future.

Said Mr Alexander Melchers, chairman, CNG Committee at the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore: “We need more stations in the east of Singapore. The natural gas pipeline network mainly covers the west and people living in the east are still deprived of efficient access to gas stations.”

Currently, there are more than 3,000 CNG vehicles plying the Republic’s roads.

- Channel News Asia

 

From TODAY, News – Friday, 10-April-2009