Liquefied natural gas also known as (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) are very similar products, however, their storage and delivery methods are different. In this article, we will briefly explain what compressed natural gas is and how it is different from liquefied natural gas.
What is Compressed Natural Gas?
Compressed natural gas is derived from compressing methane down to less than 1% of its volume. This is done by storing natural gas at baseline temperature and high pressure. Compressed natural gas is clean, odourless and non-corrosive. It is safer and more efficient than petrol or diesel and can be used as a motor fuel to power vehicles.
Liquefied natural gas, however, is natural gas in liquid form. It is often derived from purifying natural gas and super-cooling it to -260 degrees Fahrenheit.
Read: Gas Business Opportunities in Nigeria
Some News About CNG in Nigeria
There has been some good news on the Compressed Natural Gas Initiative like “the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced its plans to deploy 11,500 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered buses as a means to ease the public’s transport challenges heightened by the subsidy removal.”,
“Nipco Plc has converted a total of 5,600 vehicles in Nigeria to use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), as one of the company’s efforts at providing access and alternative to motorist to power their automobiles.”.
“Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing in Nnewi Anambra State, south east Nigeria, has mass-produced and unveiled Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) enabled vehicles, which the company says are alternatives of fuel-enabled cars for Nigerians amidst the rising price of petrol and diesel”.
Uses Compressed Natural Gas
Compressed natural gas is primarily used as a substitute fuel for powering vehicles. However, it can also be used for power generation, water heating and air conditioning.
Read: Foreigners Guide to Start Business in Nigeria
Benefits of Compressed Natural Gas
Compressed natural gas is an alternative fuel that is not only economical but also easily accessible and offers great environmental benefits. Here are a few benefits of CNG:
- Compressed natural gas emits far less carbon compared to traditional fossil fuels.
- CNG has limited flammability making accidental combustion less likely.
- Vehicles using compressed natural gas incur lower maintenance costs.
- Compressed natural gas does not contaminate your motor oil like traditional fuels do.
- Vehicles using CNG run quietly, eliminating noise pollution.
With compressed natural gas, our customers have not only cut down transportation costs but have significantly cut down their carbon footprint.
Benefits CNG includes:
Environmental benefits
CNG burns cleaner when compared to traditional petrol and diesel. Carbon monoxide emissions are reduced by roughly 80 percent, and 44 percent fewer hydrocarbons are produced in comparison to gasoline-powered vehicles. CNG cars also run quieter than gasoline and diesel vehicles, which results in less noise pollution.
Economic Benefits
CNG is cheaper fuel than petrol and diesel. If a vehicle’s average consumption is 8l/100 km of petrol, if converted to LPG it’s consumption would be around 10l/100 km of gas. But, if we convert it to CNG, it’s consumption would be 5,5kg/100 km of methane. It is more than obvious what are the cost savings by switching to CNG.
Read: Company/ Business Registration Service
Safety
In the event of a collision, CNG cylinders are less dangerous than gasoline and diesel tanks because of its size, structure, and location within the vehicle. These cylinders have safety devices which are designed to release the gas if there is a higher-than-normal pressure or temperature. The ignition temperature of CNG is 600⁰C, which is higher than gasoline (320⁰C) and diesel (285⁰C). This means that CNG vehicles are less likely to catch fire under any circumstances. In the event of a leak, CNG is lighter than air, meaning that it will dissipate into the atmosphere, unlike gasoline or diesel which pools on the ground and serves as a fire hazard.
Cleaner Fuel
CNG does not have sulphur, particulate matter, traces of heavy metals or toxic additives in it, which may contaminate your motor oil.
Lower maintenance costs
The maintenance cost of your vehicle will be cut down since there can be longer periods between tune-ups and oil changes.
Less damage to your car
CNG combusting leaves little to no residue when compared to traditional gasoline and diesel. This means that damages to pipes and tubes in the vehicle’s engines are reduced.
Better performance
Dedicated natural gas engines are superior in performance to gasoline engines because natural gas has an octane rating of approximately 130, whereas super and unleaded have octane levels of 95 and 98 respectively. One can agree that the benefits that come from using CNG are very appealing. In the future, it can be predicted that many more citizens will be keen on either converting to CNG or purchasing CNG vehicles.