Technicians to be trained to convert cars to use cooking gas

Come next year technicians across Guyana will be involved in training geared towards equipping them with the knowledge of converting cars which use gasoline to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or cooking gas.

This was recently related to Guyana Times by Massy Gas Products, Health, Safety, Security and Environmental Manager Robert Chin Hong.
“We are bringing in a technician to train local mechanics, both at Massy Industries and a couple other well-known mechanics throughout the country, to be able to convert vehicles adequately,” he revealed.
This will be done as early as January, he told this publication during an interview. The training sessions will be done subsequent to an official launch Massy intends to have in 2019.
According to Hong, training in this area is absolutely necessary, since mere “tutorials on YouTube will do no good”. The training, he added, will not only focus on the conversion of the vehicles but the subsequent servicing of the vehicles.
It was pointed out that any type of vehicle that works with gasoline could be converted to use LPG.

The cost of the conversion, Hong noted, will be about US$1000, although the company is seeking to have the first set of interested persons pay just a fraction of the cost. He said, “We don’t want this thing to be (expensive), we want people to use it. We want people to start using a gas that produces just about half the amount of emissions that a regular gasoline car works with.”
Very soon two gas stations will be established in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) in Georgetown and on the East Bank of Demerara, and other gas stations will be opened as time progresses and the demand increases for the new type of gas.
A major advantage of the cars modified to run on LPG is that they can switch directly from gasoline to LPG, in case the user runs out of the Petroleum Gas.
The Manager shared, “I have been driving this LPG car for over a year and it’s exceptionally safe, because the vehicle has built-in safety features, the ability to switch from gas off electronically through a valve in the event that there’s a problem. LPG itself is a gas, so if it is leaking it’s not going to accumulate. It’s going to drip out and evaporate into the air … LPG is a lot safer in that way: the wind just blows it away in very small quantities, it never accumulates enough to cause a fire.”
While the technicians are preparing themselves for training, cars that are already programmed to run on LPG are expected in the country soon, Hong noted.
According to him, individuals and even organisations such as the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Police Force have already expressed interest in the vehicles.
While stating some of the other benefits of using the LPG car, the Manager informed that the conversion could be done within a day’s time.
Among the notable benefits to the user is that it will reduce their expenses when it comes to fuel costs as LPG would be cheaper. “The price for fuel right now is at about $220 per gallon, we expect that the price per litre of LPG for vehicular uses will be around $170 and $180.”
Additionally, cars powered by this type of gas will produce half the amount of harmful emissions compared to those powered by gasoline. They also require less servicing when compared to gasoline cars which need servicing about every three months.
Massy first revealed the LPG powered car at the inaugural Green Expo hosted at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) recently moved to exempt excise tax on motor vehicles principally designed to accommodate LPG.
The GRA noted that in accordance with Table A-19 of the Excise Tax Regulations, these vehicles must have an engine capacity not exceeding 2000 cc and be less than four years old. Additionally, Part III B (i) of the First Schedule of the Customs Act has been amended to exempt Customs Duties on machinery and equipment, determined by the Commissioner General, to set up refilling stations for vehicles principally designed to accommodate LPG.