Following the recent explosion of CNG-powered vehicle at the NIPCO CNG Station in Benin City, Edo State, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria has warned against the use of substandard and uncertified CNG Gas Cylinders.
The organisation in a statement on Saturday commiserates with those affected by the incident, point out that preliminary investigations revealed that the cylinder used in converting the affected vehicle was approved by SON.
It disclosed that SON has robust and effective regulatory measures in place to ensure that all CNG equipment and conversion kits conform with approved standards before being certified for public use. “The conformity assessment schemes are designed to prevent the import, manufacturing, and use of substandard products.”
The statement further disclosed that SON, in collaboration with the Presidential Initiative on CNG and other relevant government bodies, is finalizing the Nigerian Gas Vehicle Monitoring System ,NGVMS, that will provide centralized monitoring and surveillance of CNG systems to ensure that only vehicles equipped with certified conversion kits can access gas at retail outlets. “The NGVMS will also offer a database of approved CNG equipment and suppliers which will go a long way in preventing the substandard installations and further mitigating the associated risks. “This initiative reassures the public that CNG safety is a top priority and reaffirms SON’S commitment to ensuring the safe use of CNG in Nigeria. It also urges all stakeholders to prioritize safety and recognize that LPG and other gas cylinders are not suitable for CNG containment.”
The organization went further to highlight the structural differences between the LPG and the CNG Cylinders which are crucial to ensuring and maintaining safety under the high pressure associated with CNG Vehicles.
PRESSURE CAPACITY: The LPG cylinders with a working pressure of 7 bar can withstand a test pressure of up to 30 bar of gas while the CNG cylinders are designed for much higher pressures with working pressure of up to 200 bar to withstand a test pressure of 300 bar and above.
CONSTRUCTION: The LPG cylinders can have welded joints/seams while the CNG cylinders are seamless and do not have weld joints. It further advised motorists to ensure that they install only SON-certified cylinders in their vehicles, as the use of uncertified cylinders presents serious safety risks which should not be overlooked. Furthermore, SON charges all CNG refueling stations to undertake on-the-spot inspections to ascertain vehicles are equipped with approved conversion kits with required labels identifying the conversion centre.
