Recent Stories About Natural Gas:
CNG:
- First Retail CNG for the Lehigh Valley
- Xebec Offers Aftermarket Deal
- Another $100 Million from California
- CNG Sprinters for DHL Mexico
- Free Webinar on the ISX12 G on June 12
LNG:
- Xebec Offers Aftermarket Deal
- Free Webinar on the ISX12 G on June 12
- ACT Expo 2013 Agenda & Speakers
- CARB Looks to Ease CNG Upfits
- Interlake to Convert Ships to Shell LNG
After decades of promise, natural gas vehicles have ARRIVED in the United States – American interest is surging, with all major OEMs touting the clean domestic economical fuel.
Chrysler was the last of the light duty vehicle manufacturers to announce a fully
sanctioned compressed natural gas option – doing so in March 2012, and claiming the distinction of a full factory vehicle. Cummins Westport announced the ISX12 G, an engine powerful enough for fully capable Class 8 over-the-road long-haul trucks, some using LNG-liquefied natural gas for greater range.
The U.S. NGV population remains in the very low hundred thousands, compared
to millions of NGVs in Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Asian countries. But
concerted efforts by well financed infrastructure suppliers and shale gas-happy
Energy & Exploration companies to establish truck stop fueling for heavier vehicles
could make America a volume leader in natural gas for transportation. Already
the U.S. is among the world leaders in CNG transit buses. Marine applications are
emerging too, and rail.
Natural gas vehicles are inherently cleaner than gasoline and diesel and natural gas
– methane – is a domestic fuel in the U.S. Prices for the domestic fuel are separating
from global oil prices, and supplies are increasing due in part to exploitation of large
shale gas deposits by the E&Ps.
Most natural gas is stored on vehicles as compressed natural gas or liquefied natural
gas. CNG requires high pressure fuel tanks and LNG, which allows for greater energy
density and hence greater vehicle range, requires sophisticated cryogenic hardware.
ANG, adsorbed natural gas, is an emerging technology.
Biomethane, which can be made from animal waste (manure), human waste
(municipal sewage) and from landfills, and even via cellulosic sources, is the cleanest
fuel of all from a standpoint of greenhouse gas. Brought up to standard, biomethane
is fully interchangeable with the better known CNG and LNG. Low U.S. prices for conventional natural gas are preventing more use of biomethane, which is costly to purify.
NGVs’ inherent inconveniences of bulky heavy fuel tanks and the need for a dedicated
fueling infrastructure have impeded their general market acceptance in North
America and Europe, where most growth is in fleet vehicles, especially buses. The U.S. infrastructure situation is improving, however. There are several serious truck stop LNG initiatives, for example.
Multimillion-dollar publicity campaigns by such organizations as ANGA-America’s Natural Gas Alliance and by individuals including the prominent oil man T. Boone Pickens have greatly increased awareness of NGVs in the U.S.
Freightliner Cascadia 113 – a new product made possible with the introduction of Cummins Westport’s ISX12 G dedicated-natural gas engine
