The Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Energy is in the process of relaxing safety regulations that would spur the opening of more liquid petroleum gas (LPG) refueling stations that serve hybrid vehicles, the bureau said in a press release on Saturday.
In line with the government’s goal to reduce the country’s carbon dioxide emissions, the bureau said it hoped to see at least 150 LPG refueling stations added over the next five years to serve eco-friendly and cost-effective LPG-powered vehicles.
The bureau projects that at least one LPG refueling station will be set up in each city and county by the end of 2012 and it has been working to ease regulations that have discouraged private-sector interest in investing in LPG dispensing equipment.
Among the measures under consideration was eliminating the requirement of a reinforced concrete wall around gas stations, especially if gas dispensers are far enough away from properties or the gas station is located next to an open field.
The authorities could also reduce the required distance between gas dispensers or storage tanks and the surrounding wall from 8m to 5m.
At present there are 23 LPG refueling stations throughout the country and 22 are under construction.
Conventional fuel and LPG can be used at the same time in an LPG bi-fuel vehicle. When the vehicle runs out of LPG, it can switch to gasoline automatically.
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