COIMBATORE: In a first in Tamil Nadu, the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has opened a Compressed Natural Gas kit retrofitting station for heavy vehicles in Coimbatore. The centre will start functioning soon.
“People can modify their petrol vehicles to CNG here. Factory-fitted CNG kits are also available for cars and autorickshaws. If it is not a heavy vehicle (commercial), converting diesel vehicles to CNG will not benefit the owners financially. Despite the benefits of CNG, retrofitting kits in heavy vehicles has not taken off in a big way in TN. CNG kit for diesel heavy vehicles would cost around `3-`5 lakh,” said H Suresh, Coimbatore geographical area in-charge of IOCL.
Further, IOCL is planning to open a round-the-clock CNG station, at Pichanur on Kochi-Salem bypass, he added. The IOCL has bagged CNG distribution authority in Coimbatore, Salem, Madurai, Viruthunagar, Theni, Thoothukudi, Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Dharmapuri, and Krishnagiri districts. Network establishment for distribution is nearing the launching stage in Coimbatore and Salem. The IOCL has also opened a gate station of the City Gas Distribution at Pichanur.