Govt to build LNG fueling stations

The government plans to build LNG fueling stations for vehicles this year as part of efforts to convert the use of costlier petroleum gasoline to gas.

Director General of Oil and Gas A. Edy Hermantoro said in a statement received Friday that the government plans to build four gas filling stations this year to be funded by the state budget. In addition, there will be 24 additional gas filling stations to be developed by the private sector.

He added that the government also plans LNG filling stations this year, but has yet to decide on the number and the budget allocation. ?The direction forward is for (the development of) LNG filling stations,? he said.

The plan comes following cooperation between the government, PT Pertamina, and PT Badak NGL developing a pilot project on the use of LNG in the transportation sector in Bontang, East Kalimantan. In the first stage, the LNG was used to fuel trucks at plantations and mines in the region, in addition to buses at Badak NGL.

It is expected that going foward, public buses in Java will also use LNG as fuel.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak