The Ministry of Industry and Commerce’s Non-Conventional Energy Directorate celebrated the milestone yesterday, in a ceremony held in LOVADOM Autogas premises in Santo Domingo. The owner of the CNG center said that, since the company began started operations in February 2010 up to now, 2,500 cars have been switched to run on methane, most of which have been fitted with fifth generation technology equipments.

The Bolivian Executing Agency for NGVs (EEC-GNV) and representatives of public and private organizations operational in that city, which is located in the department of Santa Cruz, signed an inter-institutional agreement to support the program. Throughout the document, those involved agreed to meet 6,000 application forms for the conversion to compressed natural gas. The requests will be gradually delivered to the agency manager that will be sent to the city of Camiri, within two months from May 2 to July 2, 2012.

The organization announced today that the agreement reached with the Provincial Municipality has been extended for five years more. As a result, it will allow Cofide to finance the purchase of buses for the upcoming Integrated Transport System (SIT), its conversion to CNG system, the implementation of a mobile natural gas pipeline system and refueling stations.

The energy company E-CL’s initiative includes the construction of a refueling station in the city of Tocopilla and the allocation of funding for the conversion of taxis in the area. "The scheme will be a real contribution to the community, since the project will lower emissions," the firm officially stated through its latest Annual Report.