Driving ecologically, driving with CNG

The world’s shrinking supplies of fossil fuels and the increasing prices of those fuels as well as changing opinions of motor vehicle users in their desire to use more environmentally-friendly and alternative fuel sources are all leading to a growing number of “gas-using” motor vehicles in Slovakia, just like elsewhere. SPP has been a long-term supporter of the use of natural gas for motor vehicles and has really good reasons to do so.

Do you know what CNG is?

Motorists frequently mistake CNG with LPG, not realizing that they are two different gases:

LPG, meaning Liquefied Petroleum Gas is liquid propane-butane and is produced during crude oil distillation as a fractionate.

CNG, meaning Compressed Natural Gas, is natural gas compressed at the filling station to a pressure of 20 MPa and in this “compressed” form it is dispensed into pressure tanks of vehicles. Before being used to power the vehicle, it is reduced to almost atmospheric pressure.

Advantages of CNG

Natural gas has many advantages in comparison to other fossil fuels because its combustion produces the least amount of harmful substances at comparable energy outputs. Compressed natural gas used to power motor vehicles does not produce mechanical impurities, the fuel does not smell and the vehicle generates 60 - 80% less gaseous emissions. It is important to know when using CNG as a motor fuel that it is flammable and in comparison to petrol it is harder to ignite. It is lighter than air and it quickly travels up when it leaks. When burned in a combustion engine it has very good anti-detonation properties (octane of 130). It is easier on a motor, the engine runs more quietly and as a result a CNG-powered engine’s load is lower than one using liquid fuel.

You can find more about CNG-powered motor vehicles in the part Transport using CNG