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At 4:30 p.m. local time on May 12, encouraging news came from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia: the first prototype bus of the national-level demonstration project for converting public buses from oil to gas – coordinated and led by GCL Africa Industrial Group and fully implemented by a Chinese professional technical team – has been successfully retrofitted, achieving seamless gas refueling, ignition, and a smooth road test. This milestone marks the transition of Ethiopia's public transport energy transformation from blueprint to reality on the ground, becoming yet another benchmark practice of China-Africa energy cooperation and livelihood improvement under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Energy security is the foundation of national security, and public well-being is the essence of development. As a major East African country, Ethiopia has long suffered from the structural dilemma of "resource-rich yet energy-poor" due to a lack of innovation and technology, severely constraining its livelihood security and industrialization process. In response, the Ethiopian Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Mines have placed high importance on the issue, establishing the oil-to-gas conversion of public buses as a key national demonstration project for livelihood and energy transition. The goal is to tackle challenges such as heavy reliance on imported fuel, lack of self-sufficiency in oil and gas, high operating costs of public transport, and an unreasonable energy mix, while steadily promoting the green, low-carbon transformation of Ethiopia's economic and social development.

As early as October 2025, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and GCL Group Chairman Zhu Gongshan reached a broad consensus on in-depth cooperation, clearly designating the bus oil-to-gas conversion project as a benchmark project for the country's energy transition. This project is not only a key extension of GCL's integrated oil and gas industrial layout in Ethiopia but also a vivid manifestation of responding to Prime Minister Abiy's "people's livelihood first" development philosophy and honoring the original cooperation intention of "industrial self-reliance and energy self-sufficiency."

During project implementation, GCL Africa Industrial Group has adhered to an efficient end-to-end management mechanism featuring full-process control and daily coordination, closely monitoring critical milestones, strictly controlling construction quality, and coordinating resource allocation to ensure the project steadily advances along the strategic direction. With the responsibility and efficient execution of a Chinese enterprise, GCL has won high praise from the Ethiopian government and the public.

To ensure that project quality fully meets international standards, the GCL technical team spent three months conducting in-depth research and validation of local bus model parameters and operating conditions. The technical solution was ultimately double-approved by Ethiopian authorities, and cooperation agreements were signed with two major state-owned bus enterprises, clearing the way for large-scale rollout. In equipment selection, the team chose top domestic products such as Weichai and Yuchai natural gas engines and Sinoma and Ouyang onboard gas cylinders, balancing safety, stability, and economy. At the same time, a dedicated supply chain team was formed to open up cross-border material supply channels. Technical experts were stationed on-site to take full responsibility for construction, installation, commissioning, and operation guidance, strictly controlling every process and detail to ensure that the retrofitted vehicles are safe, stable, efficient, green, and low-carbon.

Geopolitical changes have brought significant challenges to the project. Affected by the ongoing situation in the Middle East, international shipping routes have been disrupted, forcing transshipment of core equipment and causing lengthy delays. Moreover, as the relevant equipment was being introduced into Ethiopia for the first time, with no customs clearance precedents, the approval process was complicated and cumbersome. Additionally, the peak construction period coincided with the Chinese Spring Festival. GCL's Chinese employees voluntarily gave up the chance to return home for family res, stayed at the front line working overtime, and simultaneously coordinated with the domestic supply chain team, working around the clock to push forward material dispatch, solution refinement, and technical support, ensuring that project progress was not affected.

It is reported that within 20 days after the rollout of this prototype, the project will fully enter the batch construction phase. According to the plan, the project will set up five professional retrofitting stations operating in two 24-hour shifts, completing an average of 10 bus conversions per day, ensuring that all more than 2,000 buses in Addis Ababa will be converted from oil to gas within eight months. With "GCL speed" creating Ethiopian efficiency, the project will help accelerate the green transformation of Ethiopia's public transport.

Notably, the first prototype bus was meticulously crafted over half a month, with each construction step strictly adhering to international standards in pursuit of excellence. At the specific request of the Ethiopian Prime Minister, the team is also undertaking the retrofitting of Mercedes-Benz buses used for government service windows. The customized plan has been finalized, and the dedicated equipment is being shipped from China, with the conversion expected to be completed within two weeks.

According to the project leader, after full operation, the oil-to-gas conversion project will not only deliver triple benefits for Ethiopia – reducing transportation costs, improving public livelihood, and promoting ecological sustainability – but also fully demonstrate GCL's sense of mission and responsibility in deeply participating in global climate governance and fostering pragmatic China-Africa cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.