News
17 January 2013

Chinese media call on government to step up efforts to reign in dangerous smog levels – LP Gas Industry ready to assist Chinese government

The Chinese press, outraged by dangerous pollution levels recorded recently in Beijing and 30 other cities, is calling on the government to strengthen and enforce standards and regulations for fuels.

This would be a good time for the government to consider cleaner-burning LP Gas as an alternative fuel, the World LP Gas Association said Wednesday 16 January 2013.

A slew of media reports, including in the state-run press the official People’s Daily and state-run China Daily, raised concerns over alarmingly elevated pollution levels in cities throughout north and eastern China. Smog readings there have reached as high as 400 micrograms per cubic metre in Beijing according to a city reading, well over the level of 100 deemed  by the World Health Organisation as safe; 300 is considered dangerous for children and the elderly. Smog has, unusually, also been the top news story on television.  The Xinhua news agency reported large numbers of people seeking treatment in hospitals for respiratory illnesses. The high smog counts have been a running topic of discussion on blogs and on Twitter in China, and calls for the government to take stronger measures to curb car emissions.

China relies on coal for 70% of its energy mix for heating, cooking, and industrial power, and in recent years the country has been one of the fastest-growing consumers of oil, as car ownership continues to rise very rapidly.

LP Gas is an exceptional energy that can be a cleaner alternative fuel to coal for household use and diesel for automotive use, as LP Gas emits half the CO2 of coal, and helps substantially reduce hazardous pollutants, notably SOX, NOX, and particulates. LP Gas is a well-recognised and widely-used fuel for cooking and domestic heating. With over 21 million vehicles on the road and with an average growth rate of 4.6% per year, Autogas is the most popular, low emission alternative fuel for cars; worldwide.

“Drawing on our global experience, The World LP Gas Association stands ready to work with the Chinese national, provincial and city governments to improve air quality through the development of the Chinese LPG market, both in domestic as well as automotive applications.” said WLPGA CEO, James Rockall.