New Merida business to convert vehicles to natural gas

A conversion workshop for the use of natural gas in vehicles is the new innovation in the energy sector of the city.

MERIDA — The “Peninsular Natural Energy” a compressed natural gas plant, inaugurated Thursday June 8, along the road to Umán, has already attracted the first company specialized in the conversion of vehicles to use this new fuel in Yucatan.

It is the Gazo Company, a workshop with specialists that modify the engines of automobiles, buses and trucks to use gasoline and compressed natural gas at the same time, with the consequent benefits in saving the cost of energy and the environment.

Gazo’s CEO, Rolando Madrazo Martín, and the company’s representative in Merida, Hugo Domenzáin Dávila, reported that Gazo started operations in 2012 in Mexico City, and today has been extended to the State of Mexico, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Puebla, Ciudad Juárez, and now comes to Merida, where they installed the conversion service in a workshop, at 69^th street number 286 of the Azcorra colony.

Madrazo Martín reported that they can convert any multipoint sequential electronic injection vehicle with no more than 10 years of existence. All are susceptible to allow this change to the dual system; that means vehicles will be able to consume gasoline and natural gas. He explained that when natural gas runs out, gasoline comes in automatically, so there is no risk of running out of fuel.

This mechanical change, he said, is done with electronic equipment, calibrated by computers and using fifth-generation conversion systems. The adaptation and combination of the two energy consumptions does not damage the engine, the useful life of the vehicle is maintained. Important Mexican companies are already transforming their fleets to natural gas consumption because there is a saving of 55% in the price of the fuel that they used before.

Even the use of compressed natural gas gives the same performance as liquid fuels.

Compressed natural gas is safer because it is not liquid like gasoline, so it evaporates quickly in the environment.

The businessman admitted that this business has a slow growing; perhaps because it has a high investment cost, but it certainly has a bright future because in these times everyone is concerned about improving their companies, obtaining savings and contributing to the care of the environment.

On average Gazo modified 600 cars per year and expects this year to be 1,500. In Merida, as they are just entering and opening market, they expect to transform at least 400 vehicles. Each modification costs on average $35,000 pesos if it is a sedan, but for eight-cylinder vehicles with three tanks costs up to $65 thousand pesos.

This great vehicle conversion business opportunity was also mentioned by Governor Rolando Zapata Bello during the inauguration of the Natural Gas Plant because it is a worldwide trend, as it was reported before, here in the TYT, by the fact that to date, more than 13 million vehicles use compressed gas in Replacement of gasoline or diesel in first world countries.

Before the end of this decade, more than 10% of the US truck fleet will already use this new fuel, said the Gazo’s CEO.

“Our public transport in Yucatan already has an option to be more efficient, but more important than that it could be more sustainable,” said Zapata Bello during his speech that day. “In addition, the fact that natural gas allows the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide aligns with the new energy face and a sustainable logic of our State.”

“Mexico is the fourth country with the largest reserves of natural gas in the world,” said the general director of Gazo. “Having in Merida a compressed natural gas plant opens up an interesting market in the transport sector and the environment.”

Source: yucatan.com.mx

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