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Why Liquefied Natural Gas LNG?

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) has been used as a clean-burning alternative vehicle fuel in thousands of trucks and other vehicles in the United States for decades.  However, LNG is being used in millions of vehicles in other parts of the world – the U.S. is far behind. With the substantial growth of the LNG fuels industry around the world, the opportunity to utilize LNG as a clean and low-cost vehicle fuel in transportation fleets and heavy horsepower equipment continues to grow.

LNG is stored in insulated tanks at temperatures around -250° F

 

  • Range: LNG is the only option for a truck that needs to go more than 200 miles between fill-ups.  CNG trucks must add multiple tanks that add excessive weight and take up space in order to match LNG’s range.                                                                                                         

  • Pressure/Storage: LNG systems operate at low pressure (25-200 PSI) vs 3,600 PSI for CNG.  That requires CNG tanks to be very strong and heavy - CNG storage tanks weigh four times as much as LNG tanks!                                                                                                                                                                                                             

  • Weight/Volume: LNG is denser, so you can store more fuel in smaller, lighter tanks. It takes 3.7 times more volume of CNG to store the same amount of energy as LNG. In recent years the CNG industry has developed lighter, composite tanks but they are extremely expensive. Also, if a CNG vehicle wants to achieve the same range as LNG, it usually means that multiple CNG tanks are required and they must be manifolded together and often put in a housing which further drives up the cost and takes up space.                                                                                                                                                                                                              

  • Fueling Speed: LNG fills the vehicle as fast as gasoline and will fill diesel vehicles at around 40 gallons per minute.  CNG “Slow Fill” takes 6-8 hours. The “Fast Fill” process causes the fuel to heat up and expand, resulting in less energy per volume when the CNG tank reaches its target fill pressure.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, the ambient temperature can cause the same result, “…and the tank may only be able to accommodate up to 75% (or less) of its design potential under cooler temperature conditions.”

  

Benefits of LNG:
LNG is:
Inexpensive

On average, LNG costs about 50% less than gasoline or diesel fuel, while delivering the same power and performance.  According to the Federal Reserve Economic Database, in 2010 the United States spent $338 billion dollars on imported oil alone in 2013.  Think of what 50% savings could mean to you and this country as a whole.

 

Environmentally Friendly and Green

The beauty of LNG’s simplicity is that it burns almost completely, leaving only a small amount of carbon dioxide and water behind (CH4 + 2O2 = CO2 + 2H2O).

 

LNG produces up to 90% lower emissions than gasoline or diesel.  Not only does the reduced amount of greenhouse gases by LNG make it the cleanest internal combustible fuel for our environment, it also burns cleaner inside your engine resulting in fewer oil changes and less maintenance.  Converting one traditional diesel 18 wheeler to LNG is the carbon-footprint-reduction equivalent of removing 324 automobiles off the road.

 

Safe Fuel

In the event of a spill, LNG disperses quickly without pooling on the ground and creating a fire hazard like petroleum-based fuels.  It also has a higher ignition temperature making it less flammable than gasoline or diesel.  LNG is also non-toxic and non-corrosive and will not contaminate ground water.

Abundant

The United States is sitting on top of more than 25 very large natural gas reservoirs.  Some analysts say these reservoirs contain three times the energy as the Saudi oil fields.  In the last five years, shale reservoirs have revealed natural gas deposits that have doubled previous estimated U.S. gas reserves giving us over a 100-year supply at current consumption rates.  Using America’s vast abundance of domestic natural gas is our best answer for reducing foreign oil dependence while increasing energy and national security.

Why USNGV’s LNG?

 

  • Rather than transporting liquid natural gas via trucks and specially-built cryogenic trailers, USNGV’s patented technology is built around the nation’s existing natural gas pipeline distribution system, providing our fleet customers with the convenience of making and dispensing LNG fuel onsite. 

  • There is a dramatic difference between the price of gasoline and the price of natural gas.  As a result AG&T is able to provide our customers up to a 15% discount off the local price of gasoline or diesel.

  • LNG does not have all the dirty carbon molecules that gasoline and diesel contain, so when it burns in an internal combustion engine the oil and other affected parts of the engine do not get as dirty.  That means a lot less maintenance.

  • The rest of the world is ahead of the U.S. in its adoption of LNG to replace gasoline and diesel.  When the U.S. makes the switch, it will make a huge positive impact on the environment.

  • USNGV is helping U.S. fleets make the transition to clean fuels by providing the station and vehicle conversions at no cost to the fleet!

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