The use of compressed natural gas in vehicles has advantages over gasoline, mainly less pollution, more cost-effective, and higher safety and low maintenance costs, the environmental advisor at the Planning and Budget Organization said.
Last November when gasoline prices increased car owners at the lower end of the economic ladder converted their vehicles into CNG-hybrids because CNG prices were unchanged, IRNA reported Abu Ali Golzari as saying.
CNG, is a clear, odorless, non-corrosive gas that can be used as a cheaper, cleaner and more efficient alternative to gasoline in vehicles.
Referring to the environmental benefits, Golzari said: “Use of natural gas reduces emission to a great extent”.
CNG is cleaner when compared to gasoline and diesel. Carbon monoxide emissions are reduced by roughly 80%, and 44% less hydrocarbons are produced in comparison to gasoline-powered vehicles. However, natural gas also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions but at a significantly lower rate.
It is also much cheaper than gasoline, the official noted. Each cubic meter of CNG is sold for 5,000 rials (1.6 cents) and a liter of subsidized gasoline costs 15,000 rials (5 cents) and non-subsidized fuel 30,000 rials (10 cents).
Key Safety Factor
“Although some say that CNG-hybrid engines are not safe, experience shows that they are much safer than cars that use gasoline.”
CNG has a flammability rating of approximately 5%-15%, which makes it less flammable and safer than other fuels.
Also, in the event of a collision, CNG cylinders are less dangerous than gasoline and diesel tanks because of size, structure and setting in the vehicle. The cylinders have safety devices designed to release gas if there is a higher than normal pressure or temperature.
The ignition temperature of CNG is 600 degrees centigrade, which is higher than gasoline (320 degrees) and diesel (285 degrees). This means that CNG vehicles are less likely to catch fire under any condition.
In the event of a leak, CNG is lighter than air and dissipates into the atmosphere unlike gasoline or diesel which pools on the ground and is a fire hazard.
Another advantage is that use of CNG reduces maintenance cost, Golzari added.
In the last decade more than $2.4 billion was invested in Iran to expand CNG use and contribute to the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions.
Since last year the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company has launched an initiative to convert 1.4 million gasoline-powered vehicles (pickup trucks, taxis and vans) to compressed natural gas hybrids.
Gasoline output is around 115 million liters per day and consumption is about 75 million liters a day.
Globally Iran is 5th in CNG consumption that has reached 24 million cubic meters a day. With gas expansion projects underway Iran has the capacity to produce 40 million cubic meters of CNG per day.
Of the total 19 million vehicles in Iran, five million plus have hybrid CNG engines accounting for 20% of overall CNG consumption.
CNG is projected to comprise 35% of the total fuel consumption by the end of the Sixth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2017-22).
