China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will sell 11.5 billion cubic meters or around 9 million tons of LNG to domestic users by the end of 2015. The country had nearly 1.5 million NGVs at the end of last year, most of which use compressed natural gas, according to Lu Jianzhong, vice-president of the CNPC Economics and Research Institute.

Besides CNPC plans of stepping up sales of the fuel, nearly 100 cities are now promoting LNG-powered vehicles, with the highest percentage in Sichuan and Shandong provinces, as well as in the Xinjiang autonomous region.

Moreover, in February CNPC signed a cooperation agreement with Beijing Municipal Government to encourage LNG buses in the country’s capital city. CNPC has committed itself to donating 100 vehicles during the first half of 2012.