Beximco Petroleum to establish 500 autogas filling stations

Liquefied petroleum gas will become a major alternative fuel in Bangladesh. It is now recognized as a versatile low-carbon fuel—and used productively.

Beximco Petroleum Ltd, a subsidiary of the Beximco Group, got the approval to establish 500 autogas filling stations and 25 workshops. It also purchased the first LPG carrying vessel in Bangladesh to sail on international waters with the national flag. The vessel, named BEXPETRO 1, with an LPG carrying capacity of 2700 MT, is the first Bangladeshi ship to directly procure LPG at source. This marks a major milestone not only for LPG operators in Bangladesh but also for the nation at large as this paves the way for a more cost-effective and efficient LPG supply chain.

Beximco Petroleum also in collaboration with Index Power & Energy (a Beximco company), has already set up a state-of-the-art ISO 9001 certified LPG plant in Mongla with a capacity of 3000 MT.

Cars are unlikely to be more fuel-efficient when running on LPG, a user of this fuel could still halve fuel bills. Once the cost of the LPG conversion has been paid off, this could add up to significant savings—and the more a person drives, the more s/he saves. According to the statistics of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), there are some 10,000 LPG-run vehicles on the country’s roads. Every month, about 90–100 new vehicles are being converted to run on LPG. An official from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) said that the government had made several attempts to reduce the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) in households and vehicles. As a part of that plan, LPG is being termed as a viable alternative that could be used in motor vehicles. Already three private entrepreneurs have got permission from the government to establish over 1,000 autogas filling stations across the country.