Russians race to adapt cars to use LPG as gasoline runs short

MOSCOW, July 7 (Reuters) - Russians are queuing up to adapt their cars to run on liquefied petroleum gas after Ukrainian attacks on refineries have created nationwide fuel shortages, increased gasoline prices and led to long lines at filling stations.

Egor Popov, whose Garant-Gas company fits equipment to convert cars to run on LPG in Moscow, said demand had multiplied.

"We have a waiting list until September," he said.

Even before domestic gasoline prices rose to levels that have on occasions exceeded those in the United States and Europe, LPG in Russia was already relatively cheap and abundant, making Russia the global leader in its use in the form of propane or butane for fuelling cars.

According to the World Liquid Gas Association, the industry's lobby group, Russia used around 3.5 million metric tons of LPG as car fuel in 2024.

According to Russian official data, motor fuel accounted for 54% of Russia's LPG consumption last year. Just over a third was used as feedstock in the petrochemical industry.

Sergei Medvedev, who runs another company called Medvedev GBO that carries out refits, also said it was receiving far more enquiries than it could deal with.

"We had 276 calls in a day, but could only process around 30 or 40," he said. 

Medvedev added LPG had obvious advantages.

"No queues, with prices 50% or two thirds lower than gasoline at filling stations."

Butane and propane, produced during natural gas processing and crude oil refining, are less emissions intensive compared with gasoline.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Barbara Lewis)