IOC plans to open series of LPG outlets for vehicles

After introducing 'Autogas', the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicle fuel in Gujarat a month ago, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC), plans to open at least four Autogas outlets in the state over the next six months.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) is operating an LPG dispensing station for about one year now.

In December 2003 alone, at the Sainik Seva petrol pump in the Satellite area, where the Autogas dispenser was inaugurated on November 21, 2003, IOC has sold over 25 metric tonnes of LPG to vehicles.

Officials said translated into litres, over 44,000 litres of LPG worth Rs 8.25 lakh has been dispensed in Ahmedabad city alone from a single dispenser.

"The response has been extremely good and sales are picking up by the day. We plan to start a series of Autogas pumps in all major cities of Gujarat in the future. To begin with, there will be at least four more Autogas pumps in Gujarat in less than six months from now," said Venkat Ramana, manager, retail, IOC.

Officials said they are also chalking out plans for starting Autogas dispensing outlets for vehicles in other big cities of Gujarat.

Earlier, people directly fitted LPG cylinders on to their vehicles along with a LPG conversion kit, but now, with a special tank being provided to store LPG as automobile fuel, dispensing LPG from petrol pumps is picking up in Gujarat.

The Autogas dispenser in the Satellite area of Ahmedabad is IOC's first LPG dispensing station in Gujarat.

Autogas is the brand name of IOC vehicular LPG.

"The rate has been varying from around Rs 18.50 per litre to Rs 19.50 per litre, because of fluctuations in the price of LPG. But the supply has been regular. Car owners incur a cost of about 75 paise a km with LPG as fuel, thus reducing fuel costs considerably compared to petrol or diesel," said an IOC official.

Dealers of LPG conversion kits said with two LPG dispensing stations already in place, more car owners are now converting to LPG kits.

"The new kits that are now being fitted have a separate tank, where LPG can be dispensed. It is very different from the earlier method, where people actually installed LPG cylinders (like the ones used in domestic cooking) in the storage space of vehicles," said Manoj Antani, a leading LPG conversion kit dealer in Ahmedabad.

Workers at the BPCL LPG dispensing station at Sabarmati said LPG rates as on Friday was Rs 19.37 per litre.

"The price normally is between Rs 18 and Rs 19 per litre and the number of people getting LPG dispensed into their vehicle tanks is increasing," said a worker at the pump.