Uzbekistan to construct 50 CNG filling stations

Uzbek oil & gas and automobile industries continue large-scale projects of transferring cars to gas consumption. Foreign investment and technology play a special place in this process.

Two leading South Korean joint ventures have opened their offices in Tashkent. Ko Ung Oylinder JV was created in Navoi Free Industrial Economic Zone (FIEZ) by Avtogaztaminot, Uzbekhimmash and Korea’s Kogas, Kolon and NK. The plant is projected to produce annually up to 120,000 units of automobile gas tanks, under ENK brand. The second joint venture, Kor Ung Investment, founded by Avtogaztaminot and Kogas, Kolon, Kwangshin, EngineTech, will specialize in the construction and maintenance of 50 automobile CNG gas filling compressor stations in Uzbekistan.

Earlier Uzbekneftegaz and a Honeywell company signed an agreement on a joint venture in FIEZ to manufacture equipment for CNG filling stations and pressure regulation and measurement devices.

Today Uzbekistan continues developing a network of CNG and LNG filling stations, and transferring vehicles to LNG and CNG gas. It is planned to build around 190 CNG stations and over 1250 LNG stations in Uzbekistan by 2012. At the same time, the program provides for production of more than 6,600 automobile gas tanks and liquefied gas containers.

In addition, Uzavtosanoat is working on development of mass production of cars with preinstalled gas equipment. The first car in this series should be Lacetti with the engines running on two fuels – petrol and liquefied gas. In the future, such engines are to be equipped on other cars assembled at GM Uzbekistan.

Facts and Figures / Fuel Production