Chitrapongse Kwangsukstith, senior executive vice president of PTT, yesterday said Chao Phya Express Boat Co would have the 40 boats installed with diesel dual fuel (DDF) equipment, which allows the consumption of diesel and NGV (natural gas for vehicles).

The commuter boat with the equipment was found to need only 23-25 litres per trip - half the normal diesel usage of 50 litres. At that rate, the ferry operator could recoup its Bt300,000 installation cost in nine months.

"Now that 40 more boats will have the equipment, this project would halve their diesel consumption. That will reduce diesel imports by 1.2 million litres per year, worth Bt17 million," Chitrapongse said.

To accommodate the growing demand for NGV among express boats, PTT is looking for a location for an NGV station. It will likely rent land in Nonthaburi belonging to a government agency.

PTT is also approaching commuter-boat services on the Saen Saeb canal, though it is difficult to find a place for an NGV filling station.

While a spot on the campus of the National Institute of Development Administration is appropriate, it violates a law requiring a fuel station to be located at least 60 metres away from educational facilities. PTT has consulted with the Energy Business Department to see if the restriction could be eased.

PTT last week also wrote to the Energy Ministry, asking it to seek Cabinet approval for the construction of service stations on roads narrower than 16 metres.

Executive vice president Nattachart Jaruchinda said PTT had been approached by a container operator to put DDF equipment on 12 boats that sail from Ayutthaya to Laem Chabang Port.

Moreover, 11 truck operators are interested in taking out Bt1 billion in loans from PTT to make their trucks NGV-capable, he said.

The truckers are charged the commercial bank minimum overdraft rate plus 2 percentage points, or about 9.75 per cent at today's rates.