China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has jointly opened two gas stations in Pingtan with CPC Corporation, Taiwan, on Huandao Road and Aoqian county. It is the first time that the two companies will jointly operate businesses in the Chinese mainland.

The station on Huandao Road is also the first gas station in Pingtan supplying CNG.

Joint operation

"Our gas station is jointly operated by CNPC and CPC and is the first one providing 24-hour petrol and CNG in Pingtan," said an employee in the gas station.

Not long ago the Fujian Provincial Economy and Trade Commission issued a policy to attract Taiwan-invested companies, including petrol projects.

With the support of the administration committee of the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone, two gas stations were put into use in June and September last year.

The two gas stations will stimulate cross-Straits communication and cooperation and will help attract technology, talent and capital from Taiwan to the mainland.

Promote low carbon economy

About 90 taxis use natural gas, and the daily needed volume is about 2,000 cubic meters. The monthly use is about 60,000 cubic meters, said the operation director of the gas station. Private cars in Pingtan don't use natural gas at the present, so the volume is comparatively steady, as is the price.

"There is no gas station supplying natural gas and we have to find stations in Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian province," said Lin, a taxi driver.

Most new taxies in Pingtan use natural gas because of the lower cost. A taxi using natural gas can save about 60 yuan ($9.65) every day compared to ones using petrol.

Only carbon dioxide and water will be produced when natural gas is burnt, and 93 percent of PM2.5 emissions can be reduced. In addition, there will be no black smog.

"Pingtan advocates a low carbon economy and the use of clean energy. Compared to non-renewable resources such as petrol, natural gas is cheaper and more environmentally-friendly," said an employee in the gas station.

Build a common living circle

Taking Pingtan as an experimental area, CNPC and CPC will build more gas stations throughout the province.

The collaborative operation is also a model case for attracting investment from Taiwan, and it has potential for further development. The cooperation and communication between the two companies can be extended to a wider and deeper range, encouraging companies in other fields to invest in the mainland.

"The cross-Straits ship will help vehicles in Taiwan travel across the Straits," an employee in the gas station said. The policy stipulates that vehicles in Taiwan will probably use the gas-filling card in jointly founded gas stations. With just one card, it will facilitate travel for people from Taiwan going to Pingtan and help construct a cross-Straits community.