Shafaf to replace metal gas cylinders within five years

By Santhosh V Perumal/Business Reporter

Woqod (Qatar Fuel Company) is speeding up the process to replace the existing metal cylinder with a transparent fibreglass and plastic composite one, called Shafaf,  in the next four to five years.

“We are working fast towards it. It is expected within the next four to five years,” Woqod chairman HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah said on the sidelines of the inauguration of Woqod Tower on Sunday.

He said the aim was to replace all metal cylinders with Shafaf at the earliest.

Woqod had introduced lightweight, transparent Shafaf cylinders in an effort to make LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) domestic use safer and more convenient.

Shafaf, which in Arabic means transparent, is lighter and safer and deploys the latest technology in LPG cylinder design. Being transparent, the LPG level inside the cylinders is clearly visible, thus helping users place orders for new refills in time.

Shafaf refills are available in 12kg and 5kg sizes.

The initial price for the 12kg cylinder has been set at QR350 and the 5kg at QR275. The LPG refill price remains QR15 for the 12kg cylinder and QR7 for the 5kg.

There are significant safety and handling advantages with Shafaf’s technology, including proven capabilities such as the fact that it will not explode in a fire.

Rasco, the Norway-based manufacturer of Shafaf, had agreed to provide Woqod 100,000 cylinders a year.Business Page 1