Uttam Group, MGL Launch ‘Ashvath’ - A Moving CNG Refuelling Unit

Uttam Group of Companies, in association with Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL), has launched ‘Ashvath’, an integrated CNG refuelling unit for the purpose of easy dispensing of CNG fuel into vehicles. Ashvath is a first of its kind Mobile Refuelling Unit (MRU) compact filling station mounted on a moving truck which can be parked in designated areas for CNG refuelling allowing CNG access to fleets virtually anywhere. The MRU unit was virtually unveiled by Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel in the Government of India.

The need for development of such a system has arisen because of Indian government’s thrust to increase the quantum of gaseous fuel in the Indian energy market from the current 6.5% to 15%. The government has been asking the industry to develop systems which can create easy availability of CNG and allow for faster expansion of the CNG footprint with lowest capital expenditure, and Ashvath is an answer to that.

The mobile refuelling units offer an efficient and cost‐efficient way to mitigate the accessibility problem, by which vehicles would not need to always come to the station but the refuelling arrangement could be made available at their convenience. The Standard capacity of Ashvath MRU developed by the company is 8800 L WC storage cascade and the system is equipped with state-of-the-art safety devices including TPRD (Thermally activated pressure relief device) which allows the cylinder to vent the gas at a high discharge rate.