Lpg jeepney

[ghosthunter]

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/212976/j...ine-says-group

[SIZE="4"]
Jeepney may shift to new LPG engine, says group[/SIZE]
02/14/2011 | 04:06 PM

The Philippine jeepney, a basic mode of transportation in the country and the largest market for diesel fuel, may likely shift to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) after a study launched Monday, called "Love the Air, Save the Planet," is completed.

Gates Ambient Hi-Technology Systems Inc., a supplier of LPG kits, is spearheading the study that will look into the economic viability, environmental soundness, health impact, and social acceptability of a jeepney that runs on a brand-new, Euro-3 rated, LPG-fuel engine from Japan.

Cielo Fregil, Gates Ambient’s managing director, said in a statement the study will be done in collaboration with the Philippine Automotive Depot Inc., Miriam ESI, Citizens Organization Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental Sustainability (COCAP), Partnership for Clean Air (PCA), and Clean Air Initiatives Asia.

The study would last more than three months to cover all possible factors as extensively as possible, according to the statement.

Love the Air, Save the Planet was launched at the Environmental Studies Institute of Miriam College in Quezon City.

"We foresee that a huge portion of the market for diesel consumed by the public jeepney sector would shift to LPG as soon as we are done with the validation of the study because of its much needed and desired economic and environmental benefits that all sectors of society have been wanting for so long," Fregil said.

The shift would be something like the shift done by Philippine taxi operators, she said.

Diesel is now selling at P41.50 per liter, compared with LPG at P28 a liter, according to Gates Ambient’s managing director.

In mileage terms, an LPG engine runs longer by an estimated 6-7 kilometers , compared with 4-5 kms of a diesel engine, according to Gates Ambient.

LPG is known to have better and more desirable emission than diesel, especially when combusted by a brand-new, direct-fuel-injection engine, said Rene Pineda Jr., president of COCAP and PCA.

"We, in the environmental movement, are so critical about emission standards and the flagrant violation thereof because of the worsening air pollution level that has already breached by more than 200 percent the ‘livable’ threshold," Pineda said. — VS, GMA News

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/212976/j...ine-says-group

[ghosthunter]

http://www.manilatimes.net/news/tops...fueled-by-lpg/

[SIZE="4"]Group launches public jeepney fueled by LPG[/SIZE]

BY ANGELO S. SAMONTE REPORTER

A GROUP of businessmen, transport leaders, members of the academe and environmentalists will launch today the first passenger jeepney which runs on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) under a Valentine’s Day project themed “Love the air.”

Global Ambient Hi-Technology Systems (GATES), Philippine Automotive Depot Inc. (PAD Inc.) and Miriam College have come together to build and test-run a jeepney that is 90-percent “cleaner” than the ones we usually see on the streets.

Cielo Regino Fregil, a business leader from GATES, said that the LPG jeepney project is aimed at knowing the business viability of operating LPG-run jeepneys, and to contribute to efforts to protect the environment by lessening carbon emission from diesel-fed engines.

GATES and PAD Inc. partnered with Miriam College to operate the LPG jeepney for a month or two to determine its viability and environmental benefits. The test-run will gauge several factors such as the advantages of a LPG-run jeepney over a normal jeepney, LPG cost versus diesel, engine power and environmental benefits.

“[Today], we will turn it over so that they can study the LPG jeepney in a controlled study. It’s for everything, the driver will remit the boundary [and] list the cost of LPG. The route of LPG jeepney will be UP [University of the Philippines]-Katipunan under a special permit so it can be studied very well,” Fregil said.

The 24-seater LPG jeepney was fitted with a brand new engine made by a reputable Japanese engine manufacturer.

Its proponents are planning to build more LPG jeepneys in the future with bigger engine displacements. They plan to deploy them in various routes. According to Fregil, two more units were being planned for a test-run but Miriam College has yet to approve it.

“Its privately funded by the company Global Ambient Hi-Technology Systems together with Philippine Automotive Depot Inc. We both conceptualized it,” she explained.

“It will be for public transportation. We already converted the taxi and this time it will be the jeepney sector so we can help the drivers in terms of savings because the price of LPG now is very, very [low if compared to] the price of diesel,” Fregil added.

Jeepney operators, she claimed, could save a lot by shifting to LPG. Fregil noted that the current price of LPG is only about P28 a liter while diesel is above P40 a liter. She added that still, the P28 a liter price is high because of the current high global demand for LPG. Under normal conditions, its average cost is between P24 to P25 a liter.

Cleaner alternative
Besides these savings, Fregil said that the environmental benefit is huge. Based on their own tests, cars that run on LPG are 80-percent to 90-percent cleaner than vehicles that use diesel.

“In terms of carbon emissions based on our test, its almost 90-percent cleaner but of course I could not rely on my own test. I’d rather allow Miriam finishes their environmental study about the environmental benefits. In addition the engine its already Euro 4 compliant so it’s really high that’s even better than brand new cars that are not Euro 4 complaint,” Fregil further stressed.

“We all know that the jeepneys now are not really compliant to Euro emissions so if the government will adopt higher standards for environmental benefits and I’m pretty sure that all the jeepneys are not complying to the Euro standards, that’s what we’re trying to adopt,” she pointed out.

Fregil also claimed that using an entirely new engine running on LPG will give jeepney operators a lot more financial benefits. She said that if they would buy second hand engines, it will eventually break down.

Fregil estimated an LPG engine to cost between P250,000 to P300,000 a unit.

But she said that engine cost depends on volume. A good supply coupled with good demand will push prices down eventually. The Japanese supplier may lower the cost if Filipinos will embrace the technology soon.

Fregil admitted that shifting from diesel engines to LPG-run ones will not be easy without an effective government policy. The government, she stressed, must at least increase the standard of emissions and must be serious in cleaning the air.

“The government must act now because of the worsening air quality especially in the metropolis. Based on recent study, air quality in Metro Manila is 300 particulate per million, very high from the 120 particulate per million which is supposed to be the maximum allowable level” Fregil said.

According to her, the Philippines lags behind its Asian neighbors in adopting high air quality standards. For instance, Thailand is moving to Euro 2 or 3 emission standard while the Philippines remains at Euro 1, a bad mark.

Asked if they plan to seek the support of legislators on improving air quality, she said that they are currently concentrating on the Miriam College study.

“We want to finish the study of Miriam so we have a background of a third party study,” she said.

http://www.manilatimes.net/news/tops...fueled-by-lpg/