CNG: Compressed Natural Gas for your Vehicle
Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in natural gas as an alternative to gasoline and diesel for automobiles. While environmentalists, global agencies and legal guardians are pushing CNG for environmental reasons, governments also have economic interests in the offing. The same advantages are driving more and more vehicle owners to migrate to this green fuel of the future.
What is Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)?
As its name suggests, CNG is gas in compressed form. Most natural gas vehicles run on this fuel. This fuel in the form of LNG is used only in selected heavy duty trucks. A vehicle must have a CNG kit (on-the-board kit) installed in order to run on natural gas. The gas is stored in a high pressure cylinder, which forms an important part of the equipment.
What are the environmental benefits?
A car works by burning its fuel. In the case of gasoline and diesel, this process releases by-products that are very harmful to the environment. The combustion of CNG mainly releases water vapour, which offers a great reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases. Compared to a gasoline car, CNG offers a reduction in CO emissions by 60-80%; Non-Methane Organic Gas by 87%; NOx by 50-80%; CO2 by 20%; and ozone-producing reactivity by 90-95%. Likewise, in the case of a diesel vehicle, the reductions are: CO by 70-90%; Non-Methane Organic Gas by 40-60%; NOx by 80-90%; and particles by 90-95%. The data clearly indicates how conversion to CNG can contribute to preventing ecological damage.
How expensive is CNG?
The cost factor makes Compressed Natural Gas an even more attractive option for automobiles. In terms of performance, 1 kilogram (35,274 oz) of CNG is equivalent to 1.46 liters of gasoline and 1.18 liters of diesel. In addition, gas has cheaper prices than other fossil fuels. In Germany, the price of CNG is 33.33% of gasoline and 50% of diesel. In the US, it ranges from 30 to 60% in different states. In India and China, it costs around 48-50% of hydrocarbon prices. The two factors combined, fuel efficiency and unit price, generate significant savings over the life of a vehicle.
Users must bear a one-time cost of installing a CNG kit or a similar cost differential on an OEM model. However, the governments of different countries are offering tax credits and other benefits to consumers to promote the adoption of CNG. Natural gas vehicles offer another key advantage of lower maintenance costs. Taking these factors into account, the initial costs of converting to natural gas can be paid off in 1 to 2.5 years.
The above factors are driving the demand for eco-friendly cars from both private and business segments across the globe. Consequently, this drives the demand for CNG cylinders. Some of the key markets remain Asian and other emerging economies. Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, China, Brazil and Argentina are among the largest markets for natural gas vehicles and high pressure cylinders.
