Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla highlighted the remarkable expansion and rapid spread of natural gas car refueling stations, as their numbers had doubled four times during the last year and a half, to reach more than 850 stations serving natural gas-fueled car nationwide, which currently number about 450,000 cars.

The number of vehicles operating with natural gas has increased, as Egypt successfully converted 9,000 vehicles to run on natural gas last month, an average that has been accomplished for the first time.

Around 150 other gas fueling stations are entering service, El Molla noted, adding that the spread of stations in various regions encourages and motivates citizens to use natural gas as a fuel for cars.

This came during a meeting with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, to review a number of the ministry’s work files.

The Prime Minister began the meeting by noting that he is keen to hold periodic meetings with the concerned ministers to check on stocks and reserves of commodities, especially strategic ones.

For his part, El Molla stated that the reserves of all petroleum products are reassuring, and Egypt has no shortage of any of them, despite the global economic challenges.

El Molla presented updates on the national project for the use of natural gas in households, explaining that the petroleum sector succeeded in achieving a boom in the use of natural gas during the past eight years. More than half of the housing units that have been connected to natural gas over 42 years have been connected in the last eight years only, he noted.

More than 7 million households were connected to the natural gas grid during the past eight years, in implementation of the directives of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, to redouble efforts to expand the service.

During the meeting, El Molla highlighted an ambitious plan to develop and support the Egyptian petrochemical industry during the coming period.