The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has urged Nigerians to heed the warning against the use of substandard and uncertified CNG Gas cylinders.
The reiteration of the warning is against the backdrop of the disturbing news emanating from the unfortunate CNG Cylinder explosion at the NIPCO CNG Refueling Station in Benin City, Edo State, which left many wounded.
While commiserating with those affected by the incident, SON noted that preliminary investigations has revealed that the cylinder used to convert the vehicle differs and does not comply with the CNG Standards approved by the Organisation.
“The Organisation has robust and effective regulatory measures in place to ensure that all CNG equipment and conversion kits conform to approved standards before being certified for public use. The conformity assessment schemes are designed to prevent the import, manufacturing, and use of substandard products”, SON explained in a statement.
Further, it explained that it is in collaboration with the Presidential Initiatives on CNG and other relevant government bodies, in finalizing the Nigerian Gas Vehicle Monitoring System (NGVMS) – a platform that would provide centralized monitoring and surveillance of CNG systems to ensure that only vehicles equipped with certified conversion kits can access gas at retail outlets.
It assured that the NGVMS would also offer a database of approved CNG equipment and suppliers which would go a long way in preventing the substandard installations and further mitigating the associated risks.
According to SON, “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.
“It is therefore imperative 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:
SON revealed that CNG cylinders have higher working pressure capacity of up to 200 bar to withstand a test pressure of 300 bar and above while LPG cylinders have a working pressure of 7 bar which can withstand a test pressure of up to 30 bar of gas
Also, SON further said that the LPG cylinders can have welded joints/seams while the CNG cylinders are seamless and do not have weld joints.
It advised CNG vehicle users to 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 charged all CNG refueling stations to undertake on-the-spot inspections to ascertain vehicles are equipped with approved conversion kits with required label identifying the conversion Centre.
SON stressed its unwavering commitment to the development of CNG products’ standards and their certification to meet safety requirements thereby enhancing safety in the CNG conversion process and strengthening the regulatory framework.
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