Dubai: Emirates Transport Media Dept.
Al Etihad Centre, a subsidiary of Emirates Transport (ET) which specialises in converting vehicles to operate on compressed natural gas (CNG), has announced it has modified 320 vehicles in the first half of the year.
The Centre, which serves a mixed clientele from both the government and private sectors including ministries, police departments, taxi companies, as well as individual motorists, was first inaugurated in 2010 and has since modified more than 9,500 vehicles to the duel petrol/CNG model.
Abdelhakim Said Abdelhakim, manager of Al Etihad Centre, stated that the number of modified vehicles in the first half of 2018 represents a slight increase on the figure for the same period of last year, which stood at 300.
The manager of Al Etihad Centre says the steady increase in demand for CNG vehicle conversions is partly due to increasing awareness about its economic, as well as environmental, benefits.
He said: “I think many people are realising the economic, as well as the environmental, benefits of using CNG as an alternative fuel.
“Operators of transport fleets, as well as individuals, can recoup their initial conversion costs within approximately eight months, depending on the distances covered, which of course can be an attractive proposition,” added Abdelhakim. 
The Centre’s list of clients include the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment, the Municipality of Abu Dhabi, DP World, the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority and a number of Dubai Driving Schools.
In March of this year ET announced the launch of the first CNG operated forklift in the UAE.
The launch was seen as a potentially significant step with regards to the use of CNG to power industrial vehicles and machinery, as the project has significant environmental and economic benefits.