EXPLAINER: What to know before converting petrol, diesel-powered vehicles to CNG

The removal of petrol subsidy has propelled the federal government to provide alternative fuel for the country, with compressed natural gas (CNG) positioned as the more efficient and cost-effective option.

Several initiatives have been rolled out to ensure that CNG usage is widespread.

During his Independence Day speech, President Bola Tinubu said his administration will open a new chapter in public transportation by deploying cheaper and safer CNG buses across the nation. 

On August 19, 2023, Tinubu approved the establishment of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) committee.

The committee, on May 15, said a conversion incentive will be developed for Nigerians, especially road transport operators, to convert their existing vehicles to run on CNG.

On June 12, Micheal Oluwagbemi, PCNGI programme director and chief executive officer (CEO), said the federal government is planning a CNG financing programme.

Oluwagbemi said the federal government would give transport unions a 50 percent subsidy on CNG conversion kits.

Also, on December 9, 2023, the federal government announced full-scale exemptions from import duty and value-added tax (VAT) for compressed natural gas (CNG) and associated equipment.

However, amid the push to drive its usage, Nigerians have raised a pertinent question, what does it require to convert a petrol or diesel-powered vehicle to run on CNG?

TheCable gives an overview of what conversion means.

WHAT IS CNG?

CNG is a fuel that can be used in place of petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

It is used in traditional petrol/internal combustion engine automobiles or specifically manufactured vehicles.

Converting an existing petrol-powered or diesel-powered vehicle to one that operates on CNG includes conversion kits and cylinders.

Speaking to TheCable on how conversion works, Chinedu Oguegbu, managing director of OMAA Motors, said a set of components, called conversion kits and cylinders are needed for such conversion.

“The cylinder is to store the CNG just as you have in fuel tanks and then the conversion kits have different components which is usually added to the engine side of the vehicle and then pipes connected to the cylinder,” he said.

“So, there is a connection between the kit and the cylinder.” 

‘YOU CAN’T 100% CONVERT DIESEL-POWERED VEHICLES… UNLIKE PETROL ENGINE’

Oguegbu said motorists can convert their petrol-powered vehicles to run 100 percent on CNG.

He explained that owners of petrol-powered vehicles can install a storage cylinder, a pressure regulator, a CNG tank, and a heating system, among other necessary conversion kits, to transform their vehicles to run on CNG.

However, Oguegbu said diesel engines can not be converted to run on 100 percent CNG, adding that conversion can only be 50 percent diesel and 50 percent CNG.

“So, you can not just use CNG alone for diesel-powered (vehicles) because they do not use spark ignition engines. So, the way diesel ignites is like compression,” he said.

“So, that means that you need the diesel for that ignition to happen. So, in that case, you would probably be able to convert a diesel engine to use 50 percent diesel and 50 percent CNG. In that case, you are not running 100 percent on the lower-priced and cleaner CNG.”

Oguegbu said some other vehicles have 100 percent natural gas engines “which is not a case of conversion in that the engine is already designed and built to run on CNG”.

COST OF CONVERSION TO CNG ENGINE

Apart from conversion, another puzzling area for CNG’s potential usage is the cost of the product and conversion.

On November 14, 2023, Oluwagbemi, in an interview with Daily Trust, said the cost of conversion may range between N300,000 and N600,000 — as conversion kits are imported.

Speaking on the cost, Oguegbu said various factors affect the range and prices of conversion.

According to him, some factors are the age and size of the vehicle, the specifications of the cylinders, and the value of the conversion.

Oguegbu said consulting technicians will help vehicle owners determine the cost of conversion.

On the price of CNG, Toyin Subaru, special assistant to the president on special duties and domestic affairs, on October 29, 2023, said Nigerians should be able to buy it “for our cars at N230 per kg as against the cost of petrol which is N680 per litre”.

The CNG price is below the N769.62 average retail price paid by consumers for a litre of petrol in May and N1,403.96 paid for diesel in the same month.

WHERE TO CONVERT TO CNG ENGINE?

Some CNG filling stations simultaneously serve as conversion centres.

Companies like NIPCO Plc, Bovas, Axxela and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited partnered with the PCNGI to provide conversion centres.

NIPCO has a CNG station locater here and PCNGI plans to launch an app that will indicate the nearest CNG conversion centre or filling station to Nigerians.

On May 30, NNPC inaugurated a 5.2 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) CNG station at the Ilasamaja area of Lagos state.