In what can be interpreted to be a major blow to the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) technology, Malaysia, a country that has been using CNG for its automotive industry, has announced plans to phase it out next year, citing safety concerns.
However, the Federal Government which had set up the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGI) to drive its CNG agenda, has said there is no going back on the CNG project, reassuring that it remains safe.
Earlier on Thursday, local media source, Free Malaysia Today, quoted Anthony Loke, Malaysia’s transport minister, to have announced several measures aimed at phasing out the use of CNG for vehicles, citing safety concerns.
According to Loke, CNG (NGV in Malaysia)-powered vehicles can no longer be registered to be used in Malaysia from July 1, 2025.
He said this was for the safety of road users and the public, adding that there were only about 44,383 CNG vehicles currently, accounting for just 0.2% of vehicles, not including motorcycles.
“The NGV tanks of these vehicles are now reaching the end of their service life and need to be replaced, and NGV tanks typically have a safe usage period of 15 years,” he was quoted as saying.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post via X, clarified that Malaysia’s policy was centered on the safety of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), rather than CNG.
Onanuga also pointed out that Malaysia’s shift away from petrol and diesel had been largely ineffective, with just 0.2% of vehicles converted over 15 years, while Nigeria’s advancements in tank manufacturing capacity set it apart as a key game-changer.
He said: “Some clarification on Malaysia’s plan to phase out CNG-powered vehicles,” Onanuga said in a post on X on Tuesday.
“The Malaysian issue relates to the safety of LPG, NOT CNG. In the original report, Transport Minister Anthony Loke stated, ‘There are also some car owners who have modified their vehicles using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, which are very dangerous.’
“NGV covers both CNG and LPG. Nigeria, in its transition, has adopted CNG ONLY, not both, due to valid safety and cost concerns regarding LPG.
“Malaysia’s programme for CNG-powered vehicles struggled, achieving only a 0.2% conversion rate over 15 years. By contrast, nations like India, China, Iran, and Egypt have seen considerable success.
“The end of the 15 year CNG tank cycle means they need to replace tanks and it was easier/cheaper to scrap their program and continue with their petrol than to do so if they had not built tank manufacturing capacity which Nigeria is already developing in year one.”
