Russians Convert Cars to LPG Amidst Fuel Shortages and Price Hikes

Russians are flocking to convert their cars to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) amid nationwide fuel shortages, escalating petrol prices, and long queues at filling stations.

These issues stem from recent Ukrainian attacks on refineries. Egor Popov, whose Moscow-based Garant-Gas company fits equipment for LPG conversions, stated that "demand had multiplied".

Butane and propane, components of LPG produced during natural gas processing and crude oil refining, are also less emissions-intensive than petrol.

"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."

The fuel shortages are being intensified by Ukraine’s campaign of drone attacks. This week, Russia's largest oil refinery in Omsk was reportedly targeted, deep within Siberia, in what Kyiv's military and Russian local authorities confirm was one of the longest-range attacks of the ongoing conflict.

The strike underscores Ukraine's expanding reach. Russian air defences destroyed most of the drones involved in the attack, Governor Vitaly Khotsenko said. ⁠It was not immediately clear how much damage the refinery had sustained. The design capacity of the Omsk oil refinery is approximately 22 million metric tons of oil per year.

Ukrainian drones also hit NORSI, Russia's fourth-largest oil refinery, owned by Lukoil, for a second time on July 2 and crude oil processing was suspended, according to sources.

They said the attack had damaged a primary refining unit, CDU-6, which is usually able to process 25,700 metric tons per day, equivalent to some 190,000 barrels, and accounts for 53% of the refinery's overall capacity.