Town Gas

Town Gas (Arabic: تاون جاس), formally The Egyptian Co. For Natural Gas Distribution In Cities (الشركة المصرية لتوزيع الغاز الطبيعي للمدن), is an Egyptian natural gas distribution company within the country's petroleum sector. It was established in 2000 as an Egyptian joint-stock company under Investment Guarantees and Incentives Law No. 8 of 1997, with an authorized capital of EGP 200 million and issued capital of EGP 100 million divided into one million shares. The company was created to manage and operate natural gas networks and installations in its concession areas, including Greater Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and Ismailia, as well as pressure reduction stations and their maintenance across residential, commercial and industrial sites. The company's origins trace to Egypt's early natural gas distribution efforts. Natural gas was first delivered to homes in Cairo by Petrogas in cooperation with the British firm William Press & Son under the supervision of British Gas plc, starting in the Helwan area on 14 January 1981, followed by Maadi, Nasr City, Heliopolis and 15 May City. The first natural gas flame in Giza governorate was lit in January 1987, followed by Alexandria in August 1996 and Port Said in January 1997. All natural gas activities were eventually separated from Petrogas, ultimately becoming Town Gas. Town Gas is responsible for field surveys, design and as-built mapping of mains, networks, installations, conversions, modules and stations in its concession areas for commercial and industrial works, natural gas vehicle fueling stations and bakeries. It also executes steel and polyethylene networks and internal and external installation connections for residential, commercial and industrial customers and power plants. Its concession areas include Cairo (except Al-Salam, in Nat Gas's concession, and Al-Maasara, in Maya Gas's concession), Giza (except Al-Saf, in Maya Gas's concession), Alexandria (except western Alexandria, in Nat Gas's concession), Port Said and Ismailia. The company operates an advanced SCADA monitoring and control system for round-the-clock network oversight. As of the end of 2011, Town Gas operated and maintained approximately 7,800 km of natural gas networks and about 25,000 km of internal and external installations, along with 88 pressure reduction and odorization stations. It served 2,380,111 residential customers, 17,560 commercial customers, 267 industrial customers, 2,146 bakeries and 70 natural gas fueling stations. The company's shareholders are the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) with 49%, Egypt Gas with 41%, and the Petroleum Sector Housing and Social Services Fund with 10%. It also holds stakes in other petroleum sector companies, including ReGas (22.2%), Petrotrade (25%), Gas Cool (5%) and Cairo Gas (33.3%).

Natural gas distribution in Egypt began when Petrogas, in cooperation with the British firm William Press & Son and under the supervision of British Gas plc, delivered natural gas to homes in Cairo starting with the Helwan area on 14 January 1981. Service then extended to Maadi, Nasr City, Heliopolis and 15 May City. The first natural gas flame in Giza governorate was lit in January 1987, followed by Alexandria in August 1996 and Port Said in January 1997. All natural gas activities were eventually separated from Petrogas, ultimately becoming Town Gas. Town Gas was established in 2000 as an Egyptian joint-stock company under Investment Guarantees and Incentives Law No. 8 of 1997, with an authorized capital of EGP 200 million and issued capital of EGP 100 million divided into one million shares. The company was created to manage and operate natural gas networks and installations in its concession areas, including Greater Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and Ismailia, as well as pressure reduction stations and their maintenance across residential, commercial and industrial sites. In the 2000s, Town Gas participated in environmental initiatives. Under the Kyoto Protocol framework, Egypt's Environmental Initiatives Fund and the Canadian International Energy Agency cooperated to convert brick kilns in the Arab Abu Saed area of Al-Saf, Giza governorate, from mazut to natural gas. The Canadian agency provided a grant of CAD 4.2 million for the modern technology, recovering its outlay through the sale of carbon dioxide reduction certificates on the international carbon exchange. Each factory owner received a non-repayable grant of up to EGP 100,000 for conversion, the Egyptian government supported the project with EGP 17.5 million, and the first fifty factory owners covered EGP 7.5 million through soft loans. Conversion reduced operating costs by 22%. The first phase, officially inaugurated on 14 November 2006, included 50 factories and was expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100,000 tons per year, equivalent to the pollution from about 300,000 cars, and to cut mazut consumption by about 75,000 tons annually. By the end of 2011, Town Gas operated and maintained approximately 7,800 km of natural gas networks and about 25,000 km of internal and external installations, along with 88 pressure reduction and odorization stations. It served 2,380,111 residential customers, 17,560 commercial customers, 267 industrial customers, 2,146 bakeries and 70 natural gas fueling stations. The company's shareholders are EGAS (49%), Egypt Gas (41%) and the Petroleum Sector Housing and Social Services Fund (10%). It also holds stakes in ReGas (22.2%), Petrotrade (25%), Gas Cool (5%) and Cairo Gas (33.3%).

• 2006

  First phase of brick kiln conversion project in Arab Abu Saed officially inaugurated on 14 November, covering 50 factories.

• 2000

  Town Gas established as an Egyptian joint-stock company under Law No. 8 of 1997.

• 1997

  Natural gas delivered to Port Said governorate.

• 1996

  Natural gas delivered to Alexandria governorate.

• 1987

  First natural gas flame lit in Giza governorate.

• 1981

  Natural gas first delivered to homes in Helwan, Cairo by Petrogas with William Press & Son under British Gas plc supervision.

One of Egypt's petroleum sector companies responsible for natural gas distribution in major cities, operating extensive networks and serving millions of customers.

• Natural gas distribution networks

  Operation and maintenance of city gas networks in concession areas.

• Pressure reduction and odorization stations

  88 stations operated as of end-2011.

• Internal and external gas installations

  Approximately 25,000 km of installations as of end-2011.

• Natural gas vehicle fueling stations

  70 stations served as of end-2011.

1. 1تاون جاس - ويكيبيدياar.wikipedia.org
2. 2Town Gas - Wikidatawikidata.org