Changyi embraces smart cylinders for enhanced LPG safety

At a bustling food mall in Changyi, a county-level city in Shandong province, a lively scene unfolds as people flock to dine, but what captures the attention is the absence of the old-fashioned liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, cylinders, once favored by food stalls and small eateries.

This is because a safer and more advanced alternative has taken their place — the introduction of smart LPG cylinders.

"Now, the government has helped replace the old gas bottles with smart ones, which can ensure safe operations, and we finally feel relieved," said Xu, owner of a barbecue diner, adding that if the once widely-applied regular LPG cylinders went wrong, it could have catastrophic consequences.

In recent years, safety concerns related to bottled LPG have garnered significant attention across the country, due to their innate risks. To address the challenge of using LPG in a safer and better controlled way, the key is believed to lie in the innovative transformation of the market system.

"Previously, it was usually small-scale companies that deal with bottled LPG businesses, who tend to be weak in management capabilities and safety controls," said Liang Yongyan, director of Changyi's housing and urban-rural development bureau.

Following a market-oriented approach to integrated development, the city has innovatively constructed its standardized LPG stations with investments from State-owned companies. Under unified management of specialized firms, the stations now rank at the forefront in scale and volume, as well as standardization and intelligence level in Shandong, Liang said.

A platform for LPG cylinder trade-in services has also been established, exploring new methods such as cash discounts for old cylinders and leasing arrangements for new cylinders. So far, the initiative has successfully replaced a large number of potentially risky cylinders with new and reliable cylinders that adhere to safety technical specifications, the local government said.

Digital technology plays a crucial role in fortifying gas safety as well. Through an intelligent LPG cloud supervision system, over 70,000 LPG cylinders have now been equipped with chips and QR code labels under an innovative move for LPG usage digitalization, according to data from the Changyi government.

Such smart cloud platforms can realize "early detection, early response" in case of fire accidents, and mitigate the risk of major accidents caused by gas leaks, said industry experts.

The implementation of a "one cylinder, one chip, one code" system ensures traceability and evaluation throughout the entire circulation process of LPG cylinders. Every stage, from filling, transportation, sales, distribution and utilization, to recycling, undergoes full-process recording and inspection, with data from various sources being collected and analyzed in the cloud. So far, more than 100,000 pieces of data have been gathered through the full lifecycle system, the Changyi government said.

This well-structured market system has given rise to the concept of a "15-kilometer service circle" for LPG usage. The streets of Changyi are now adorned with uniform-colored yellow gas delivery vehicles, with delivery personnel providing door-to-door delivery of smart gas bottles. Services also include domestic inspections and professional consultations for gas usage, resolving the "last mile" challenge in safe LPG distribution.

"Now, whenever we encounter gas-related problems, a single customer service call will bring doorstep service," said a Changyi resident surnamed Jiang, adding that gas safety coordinators also carry out inspection visits on a regular basis, significantly enhancing the safety level.

Furthermore, the city is exploring the implementation of a "firewall" service model in LPG management — more than 10 industry experts, 40 professional technicians, 80 gas delivery personnel, and 800 grassroots gas safety coordinators all acting together as a firewall against bottled LPG risks. Aiming to prevent as many accidents as possible in the end-use phase, they conduct regular inspections for both household and business gas users, adhering to standards of no less than two visits for households and four visits for business users, said the Changyi government.