AG&P has launched its first two Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations in Alappuzha, Kerala, under its brand AG&P Pratham. The stations are co-located with Bharat Petroleum Corporation’s (BPCL) St. Augustine Pump at Aroor, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation’s (HPCL) VAVA Fuels in Eramalloor. Aligned with the Government’s vision of facilitating the adoption of greener and smarter fuels, AG&P Pratham stations will provide almost any vehicle, including cars, auto-rickshaws and heavy-duty transit vehicles such as buses and trucks, access to CNG.
CNG offers compelling economics for vehicle-owners. CNG is a significantly lower-cost fuel compared to petrol and diesel. CNG helps vehicle owners generate considerable savings as it offers markedly improved mileage, a reduction in maintenance costs and superior efficiency.
Petrol costs INR 80 - 90 per liter and gives a mileage of 14 -17 km per liter. CNG prices range from INR 50 - 60 per kg and a CNG-fueled car can run up to 20 - 25 km per kg, offering 30 - 35% more mileage compared to petrol cars. With the savings generated on daily refueling in addition to the lower maintenance costs, it results in savings for vehicle-owners of approximately INR 2,000 - 3,000 every week, depending on the kilometers travelled. Auto-rickshaw drivers and taxi and car rental owners, for both AC and non-AC car models, report up to a 55% increase in their savings after switching from petrol to CNG. Furthermore, CNG is safer than traditional fuels. It has the strongest safety record, because of its non-toxic and lighter-than-air quality that causes it to evaporate and thus reduce the risk of fire.
Speaking at the inauguration of the CNG station, Chiradeep Datta, Chief Operations Officer, Kerala & Karnataka and Head, Operations & Maintenance, AG&P said, “We are honoured to announce the opening of AG&P Pratham’s first CNG stations in Alappuzha, the first of 30+ stations planned in the region over the next year. We sincerely thank our partners at HPCL, BPCL and the local authorities for their invaluable support in bringing this important energy infrastructure to Kerala. Our AG&P Pratham CNG stations will ensure vehicle owners across the region have easy access to an economical, lower-emission and non-polluting alternative to traditional motor fuels. We expect to see an increasing and accelerated switch to CNG-fueled vehicles, to create a cleaner environment.”
AG&P holds 12 CGD licenses awarded by the Petroleum & Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) to exclusively provide natural gas for everyday use in 31 districts in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Rajasthan. These exclusive rights cover the supply of PNG to households, industrial, commercial, non-commercial and non-domestic exempt commercial (NDEC) establishments, and CNG for use in vehicles. Under the brand name AG&P Pratham, when fully operational the CGD networks will cover 278,000 square kilometers, 17,000 inch-km of pipeline and over 1,500 new CNG stations.
