Turkey is a growing country in the usage of liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, as autogas and even it may be the world leader, said聽Paul Ladner, the European LPG Association, AEGPL鈥榮 President.
"LPG has a small percentage in the global market but it's very important. In many countries natural gas via pipelines remains but it doesn鈥檛 make sense for the natural gas companies to keep running gas line for just one customer. That鈥檚 where we tend to pick up,"聽Ladner said and added that LPG industry has several customers such as heating and cooking customers.
Ladner, who was elected as the President of the AEGLP on Monday, stressed Turkey's importance for LPG market and said that autogas segment is growing, which is very popular in Turkey.
"We are always proud to talk about Turkey and success of the Turkish industry of using autogas," he said.
There are 18 million 693 thousand-land vehicles in Turkey. Of these vehicles, more than half is automobiles,聽according to data released by Turkish Statistical Institute (Turkstat).
More than 4 million automobile owners that are around 41,4 % prefer to use LPG fuel for their vehicles. Of the remaining cars 29.3 percent use gasoline and 28.9 percent use diesel for fuel.
Ladner praised Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry's聽2015-2019 Energy Strategic Plan and supported it.
"The聽strategy plan about LPG is very reasonable. The first point is LPG is a clear burning fuel.聽So it鈥檚 a similar property as natural gas. The second is LPG is a portable fuel to transport from one point to another," he said.
"In many countries LPG is the gas beyond the main. For example the U.S. and in Europe there are lots of countries such as Romania and Poland. I鈥檓 happy with the Ministry's聽plan on LPG," Ladner added.
Turkey鈥檚 Energy and Natural Resources Ministry plans to deliver聽LPG to eleven cities out of its聽eighty-one聽by 2016, according to Turkey鈥檚 new . Additionally, Turkish electricity power plants will use LPG as a main fuel.
Ladner said that LPG will be more popular聽in the global market in the future as it has markets in the U.S, Canada, Europe and especially in Turkey auto gas and cylinder business are increasing.
LPG is the聽preferred fuel in Turkey because of its price advantages. Gasoline and diesel fuels have taxes levied聽making these fuels less attractive to聽Turkish consumers who pay one of the most expensive gasoline and diesel fuel prices compared聽to the rest of the聽world.
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
murat.temizer@aa.com.tr