LPG in South Africa

[Dark Dude]

My long term plan for my current truck is to send it off to South Africa, where it will continue to be my personal truck of choice for bush bashing when I go home for work/holidays. Alas this is dependent on the wide availability of LPG. If not, I'll be buying a another LC100 but this time a diesel GX model, five speed manual and proper suspension as in OME shocks, springs and polybushes. Does anyone know what the current situation is regarding LPG availability in SA?

John

The Dark Dude

 

[Andrew Prince]

LPG is readily available but for domestic purposes only (i.e. gas cylinders) - no cars are converted to LPG AFAIK and there is no infrastructure to fill up with LPG.

Looks like the diesel 105 may be your next acquisition then You might find the prices a little frightening though....

 

[Dark Dude]

LPG is readily available but for domestic purposes only (i.e. gas cylinders) - no cars are converted to LPG AFAIK and there is no infrastructure to fill up with LPG.

Looks like the diesel 105 may be your next acquisition then You might find the prices a little frightening though....

Better UK prices than SA!

John

The Dark Dude

 

[Gary Stockton]

I'd rather buy a diesel 80 VX here then and take it over - the GX 80 and 105 are normally-aspirated donkeys, and don't take kindly to turbos ...

Or get an Aussie-spec turbo diesel and take that with

 

[Dark Dude]

I'd rather buy a diesel 80 VX here then and take it over - the GX 80 and 105 are normally-aspirated donkeys, and don't take kindly to turbos ...

Or get an Aussie-spec turbo diesel and take that with

.......A donkey?????? I don't think so! BTW: There is a company doing auto LPG conversions in South Africa but according to their website, they seem to be more tailored to fleet operators.

Have a look for yourselves. http://www.lpgautogas.co.za/

John

The Dark Dude

 

[Graham]

Alas this is dependent on the wide availability of LPG.


The Dark Dude

.
Hi John,

I would have a serious rethink about taking your lpg 100 series to SA.

They have only just recently introduced low sulpur diesel, ie, 50ppm.

It may well be a few years before lpg is common around the filling stations.

G.

 

[Andrew Prince]

It may well be a few years before lpg is common around the filling stations.

Hmm that may be an understatement SA has no oil or gas reserves worth mentioning, so LPG is too precious to use to power cars Even if it is an option one day in the very distant future, do not expect it to be much cheaper than petrol and diesel as is the case in Europe. If LPG was equivalent to petrol in price, would anyone bother with it?
I think we can put the LPG idea to rest now

 

[Gary Stockton]

Not entirely correct - massive gas fields but they're deep and I don't know what the gas is being used for - certainly not piped to houses huge recovery / storage facilities at Mossel Bay (MossGas). Quite impressive at night with all the flares and lights!

 

[Andrew Prince]

Mostly correct, Gary Mossgas fields far from massive - and the gas that it produces offshore is natural gas (mostly methane). LPG is a different beast usually produced from crude oil refining (LPG = propane and some butane, as I am being so pedantic ). Mossgas probably produces some LPG as a by-product but I doubt in significant quantities and I would expect that its consumed as fuel in their process. Mossgas synthesises (liquid) fuels and other products from the nat gas (known as GTL).

LPG has nearly 4 times the calorific value of natural gas, so nat gas not really interchangeable on your LPG vehicle without some mods to the system.

Cars can run on natural gas (known as CNG) but again, this only makes sense if you have abundant (read cheap) natural gas and limited crude so that petrol/diesel is not an option. Obviously you'd need a national infrastructure to provide refueling points etc. Same problem as LPG in that regard.

[Apologies for the major OT here ]

 

[Graham]

Cars can run on natural gas (known as CNG) but again, this only makes sense if you have abundant (read cheap)
[Apologies for the major OT here ]

.
Almost all the bus'es in Weifang run on CNG,
I thought CNG was the same as LPG,
But it seems not the same.

Graham