Sharjah petrol station upgrades continue to choke supply

Eppco and Enoc say disruptions are likely to continue for weeks as new equipment is installed at its 41 stations in the emirate.

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DUBAI // Temporary partial petrol station shutdowns in Sharjah, which have stretched on for most of a week, are part of a plan to upgrade the dispensers at Enoc and Eppco stations over the next few months, officials said.

Only some of the dispensers at any given petrol station should be closed at a time, so that no stations close completely, said Khalid Hadi, the director of brand and corporate communications. Other services such as car washes and oil change centres will remain open.

Mr Hadi said about 10 stations would undergo upgrades at a time. The time each upgrade took would depend on the age of the equipment, he said.

"The dispensers are going through an upgrade," he said. "It's going to go on for some time."

The process started with the 41 stations in Sharjah – which should be finished within weeks – and will continue across the rest of the Northern Emirates, he said. Some nozzles in Dubai will also be updated, though most are new enough not to require it.

Altogether, Enoc and Eppco have 167 petrol stations in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

chuang@thenational.ae