Macau | Gov’t approves tighter safety regulations for fuel stations

Macau (MNA) – All petrol stations in Macau must install gasoline vapour recovery control equipment within 24 months, following the conclusion of discussions on safety regulations for the construction and exploitation of local fuel stations by the Executive Council.

In the proposal presented by Macau SAR Government spokesperson Leong Hing Teng on Thursday all the gas stations in the city are required to install both vapour recovery system and vapour recovery monitoring system within a period of 24 months.

The vapour recovery control equipment is designed to capture petrol vapours before they enter the atmosphere and is often designed in two stages – all petrol transport vehicles are required to install the first stage of the vapour recovery system.

The first stage of the system captures displaced vapours from storage tanks when a tanker delivers petrol to a service station, while the second stage captures displaced vapours at the bowser while a motorist refuels.

When media questioned if the installation period of 24 months did not seem to be too short for local petrol stations, Mr. Leong noted that “there are only 20 petrol stations in Macau,” and that “for sure it does not take 24 months to complete all the vapour recovery system installation.”

He added that the period of two years proposed by the regulation was defined only to avoid overlapping between construction activities in different petrol stations.

Another topic enacted by the new regulation is the distance recommendation between natural gas fuelling station and buildings in its surrounding area.

“The recommended distance is between three metres to five metres for the natural gas fuelling stations and the building in the vicinity,” explained Leong.

The bill is expected to come into effect 30 days after it is published in the Official Gazette.

[Edited by Sheyla Zandonai]