A Compressed Natural Gas Fuel Q&A

GREEN LIVING COLUMN PENCINTA ALAM AUGUST 2009
A COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS (CNG) FUEL Q & A
By guest contributor Ee Lynn


Here are some questions asked of the Green Living coordinator via e-mail and at outreach events:

Q: WOULD A CNG CONVERSION/RETROFIT REDUCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF DRIVING MY CAR?

It definitely would! CNG or compressed natural gas is a domestically available, economical, clean-burning, alternative fuel source for vehicles. In addition, natural gas does not contaminate lakes, rivers, or groundwater as petroleum fuels do, because it quickly dissipates into the atmosphere if a leak or spill occurs.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calculated the potential benefits of CNG versus petroleum based on the inherently cleaner-burning characteristics of natural gas:
• Reduces carbon monoxide emissions by 90%-97%
• Reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 25%
• Reduces nitrogen oxide emissions by 35%-60%
• Potentially reduces non-methane hydrocarbon emissions by 50%-75%
• Emits fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants
• Emits little or no particulate matter
• Eliminates evaporative emissions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has called the natural gas Honda Civic GX the cleanest internal-combustion vehicle on Earth.

Q: I READ OF THE RECENT EXPLOSION OF A CNG-POWERED VEHICLE (A.K.A. NGV). IS NATURAL GAS SAFE TO USE AS FUEL?

The authorities are still trying to determine the cause of the explosion of the NGV reported in the newspapers. However, all professional bodies including the (U.S.) Union of Concerned Scientists and Environmental Protection Agency are of the opinion that natural gas is a much safer fuel than petroleum.

Natural gas is lighter than air. This means that it will not puddle (like petroleum) or sink to the ground like propane, which is heavier than air. Instead, natural gas will rise and dissipate in the atmosphere. Natural gas also has a higher ignition temperature. This means that it is much harder to ignite. Also, the US Dept of the Environment reports that the storage systems used for compressed natural gas are infinitely stronger that the petroleum tanks found on cars and trucks today.

Q: WHAT FACTORS SHOULD I TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE MAKING THE DECISION TO RETROFIT/CONVERT MY CAR TO RUN ON CNG?

Although some environmentalists have expressed concern that natural gas is also a fossil fuel and reliance on it may be ‘prolonging the problem’ of finding an alternative to fossil fuels, and that increased use of natural gas will require infrastructure investments that have a high environmental impact, the Union of Concerned Scientists believes that experience with gas-based fuels and their transportation/transmission infrastructure will facilitate a transition to future alternative fuel systems, such as hydrogen fuel. At the moment, natural gas is the most economical, widely accessible and cleanest-burning fuel for vehicles available.

As the writer of this column has been using a vehicle retrofitted to run on CNG since October 2008, her advice to those contemplating a CNG vehicle retrofit/conversion is as follows:
- Utilise only the services of licensed NGV installers and repair/service workshops.
- Ensure that there are at least 2-3 NGV stations within 3km of your home and/or workplace or along the route you regularly use. Refuel during non-peak hours so you will have a shorter queuing/waiting period.
- Recognise the fact that there may be a slight reduction in your vehicle’s torque/power, especially when going uphill or carrying a heavier load than usual.
- Sign up with online NGV locator forums to find out about the availability of NGV stations outside of the Klang Valley and to receive news on the opening/closure of NGV stations.
- Find out about, and adhere to, the JPJ and Puspakom certification and endorsement procedures.