Sekkwanwon Inspection Vehicle Launched to Detect LPG Capacity Manipulation

Full-scale Implementation of LPG Quantity Inspection... Warning or License Revocation if Exceeding 1.5%

A Korea Petroleum Quality and Safety Authority inspector is conducting a quantity inspection at an automobile LPG filling station using a specially developed dedicated vehicle.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Quantitative inspection of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for automobiles has begun.

The Korea Petroleum Management Service announced on the 22nd that it started quantitative inspections at LPG filling stations nationwide from the 18th, when the Enforcement Rules of the "Safety Management and Business Act of Liquefied Petroleum Gas," which contains detailed inspection methods for LPG, came into effect.

Designated as a legal inspection agency, the Petroleum Management Service developed a dedicated LPG quantitative inspection vehicle last year to ensure safe and accurate inspections. After pilot operations, it completed safety verification and patent application. The quantitative inspection is conducted primarily using a Coriolis flowmeter installed on the dedicated vehicle.

If it is confirmed that the allowable error of -1.5% (equivalent to -300mL for 20 liters) is exceeded, a secondary inspection using the weight measurement method is conducted. If the allowable error is still exceeded in the secondary inspection, it is finally judged as under-quantity sales.

If judged as under-quantity sales, the business will receive penalties such as warnings, business suspension, or license cancellation from local governments depending on the violation and frequency.

The Petroleum Management Service plans to thoroughly crack down on filling stations that maliciously modify or install illegal facilities and underfill LPG, as the quantitative inspection, previously limited to gasoline and diesel, has now been expanded to LPG.

Before the full introduction of the system, the Petroleum Management Service distributed guidance documents to filling operators during a six-month grace period and conducted promotions through various online and offline media, including press and social networking services (SNS).

Additionally, "LPG under-quantity sales" was added to the list of consumer report reward items to raise consumer awareness and encourage operators to remain vigilant.

Son Juseok, Director of the Petroleum Management Service, said, "With the implementation of this system, a foundation has been established to prevent damages caused by under-quantity refueling for approximately 2 million LPG vehicle drivers operating domestically. We will thoroughly manage the system by leveraging our accumulated field inspection know-how to create a market atmosphere where both honest operators and consumers can trust each other."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.