Malaysia Phases-out CNG-powered Vehicles Over Safety Concerns, Nigeria Pushes Ahead

As Nigeria is pushing for the adoption of CNG as an alternative fuel for transportation, Malaysia which introduced the use of compressed natural gas in the late 1990s for taxicabs and airport limousines on its way to promoting alternative fuel sources is prioritizing safety over convenience.

introduced by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in what his government says is a measure to curb the impact of the removal of petrol subsidy on individuals, has according to officials of government “attracted over $200 million in investments with plans to build 1,000 conversion centres” across the country.

The Malaysian government has announced plans to phase out the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) for vehicles and end the sale of natural gas vehicles (NGV) in the country.

Minister of transport, Loke Siew Fook who spoke at a press conference recently said CNG-powered vehicles can no longer be registered or be used in Malaysia from July 1, 2025.

He also said Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), a government-owned oil and gas company, will halt the sale of CNG at its stations in stages, starting on July 1, 2025.

The minister said with only about 44,383 NGVs currently in the country — accounting for 0.2 percent of vehicles in Malaysia, excluding motorcycles — the safety of road users and the public will be restored.

He further said there are also some car owners who have modified their vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, which are very dangerous and had caused explosions during accidents.

Fook said it is necessary to prevent the misuse of the vehicles or for any illegal modification to be carried out on them as it would endanger the public.

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