250 cities to have CNG-run vehicles by 2018

The number of cities with CNG-run vehicles will increase eight-fold from current 30 to 250 by 2018 according to the oil regulating body, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board.

The number of cities with CNG-run vehicles will increase eight-fold from current 30 to 250 by 2018, oil regulator Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) said on Tuesday.

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"CNG run vehicles have risen by nearly 200,000 in past one year to 650,000," PNGRB chairman L Mansingh said at the NGV India 2009 conference in New Delhi. Compressed natural gas (CNG) is currently available as auto fuel in 30 cities.

"By 2011, we would have 84 geographical areas (cities) with authorised city gas operators. CNG (retailing) would be operational in 64 cities and would be under implementation in the remaining 22 cities," he said.

PNGRB is in the process of authorising entities for setting up city gas distribution (CGD) projects entailing retailing CNG to automobiles and piped natural gas to households, in batches. The body would issue authorisation for five cities by this month-end, he said.

The authorised entities will rise to 125 by 2013 and will double to 250 by 2018. Of these, 200 cities would have operational CNG dispensing facilities, he said.

"If all the vehicles in the country are to be converted into CNG, we would need 65 million standard cubic meters per day (mmscmd)," Mansingh said.