Local company brings LPG to cars

A LOCAL company has introduced Autogas technology that drives vehicles on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), as countries across the world consider alternative fuels.
Despite electric vehicles taking up most of the spotlight, LPG-powered vehicles are increasingly becoming popular worldwide.
Maswera Energies has converted cars to run on liquefied petroleum gas – the first commercial Autogas company in Zimbabwe.
Maswera Energies chief executive, Francis-Xavier Chitanda, said petrol cars can be installed with an LPG conversion kit, making them dual-fuel cars that can run on both petrol and LPG.

Maswera Energies has converted cars to run on liquefied petroleum gas – the first commercial Autogas company in Zimbabwe.

“The Autogas system works in such a way that we do not remove or replace anything on your car, we simply add a second fuel line.
“We add the storage tank which is a specially designed gas tank for automotive. In the engine we have gadgets ranging from pressure regulators, vaporisers, computer boxes, valves, impact sensors that will detect when you have an impact to shut off the system,” he said.

Maswera Energies says the system uses LPG that is considered cheaper compared to petrol or diesel using the weight-volume comparison.

“We then copy your original computer box — which drives on petrol — to the gas box so that your car drives exactly the same way when you are driving on either fuel. In the end, you have a dual flow, you have two tanks of fuel. You can load up your petrol or gas. Inside your driver’s cockpit, you have a button that you can use to toggle between the two fuels. Gas is 50 percent cheaper so drivers save money.” The transport sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Zimbabwe with a 22 percent share in emissions. With the vehicle fleet doubling every 10 years, it is also facing other issues including lack of adequate infrastructure to meet demand, congestion and air quality deterioration in cities.
Maswera Energies says the system uses LPG that is considered cheaper compared to petrol or diesel using the weight-volume comparison.
In Zimbabwe, fuel is pegged at US$1,61 per litre while liquefied petroleum gas is pegged at US$1,49 per kg.
“It’s a product that will save the environment and businesses more money since they will be getting an alternative fuel,” Chitanda said.“The vehicles promote cleaner energy. They have 22 percent less carbon emissions compared to petrol and as far as 81 percent less particulates that are emitted by petrol and diesel. It is good for the environment and it is about cleaning the carbon content in the environment. The fact that LPG has more calorific value also adds to the performance of your engine. Your engine performs maximally and therefore lasts longer.”
Under Zimbabwe’s Low Emissions Development Strategy, greenhouse gas mitigation measures identified include low-carbon transport with mitigation primarily contributed through a combination of fuel savings and the use of alternative and low-carbon fuels and electric and hydrogen-fuelled vehicles. The transport sector emissions mainly come from petrol and diesel use.
The strategy forecasts emissions from transport to rise significantly as demand for vehicles and transport services increases with economic growth, particularly for passenger cars.
According to Zimbabwe’s carbon credit framework, the transport sector provides an opportunity for carbon trading in an effort to reduce emissions.
“The development of road transportation and ensuring efficiencies is a key objective towards eliminating inefficiencies that contribute to net higher carbon emissions.
“The high vehicle densities increase emissions and require new technologies that reduce emissions,” the framework says. The carbon credit framework states that the country needs to address the limited mass public transport and infrastructure and the reliance (interim) on old inefficient buses running on combustion engines.
“The high importation of second-hand old vehicles is a key challenge that authorities battle to balance public convenience versus meeting environmental goals and economic efficiencies in the public transportation system,” the framework states.
“The transport sector is a top priority for carbon credit trade. The carbon tax was introduced in 2001 to address emission concerns. The country needs to invest in electric vehicles and battery charging stations. Increased distances travelled by mass vehicles and the inherent congestion in the traffic in cities, means more burning of fuel and increases the levels of pollution.”
Zimbabwe’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector is included in various policy and strategy documents such as the National Climate Change Response Strategy (2015), National Climate Policy (2017), National Transport Master Plan (2018), Renewable Energy Policy (2019), Vision 2030 (2019) and Low Emission Development Strategy 2020-2050 (2019).
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