What is CNG (Compressed Natural Gas)
CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) is an alternative fuel for cars, trucks and buses. Unlike LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), it is composed of methane and not of propane and butane.
Thanks to a long-established and cutting edge technology, Italy is the first European market for natural gas for vehicles, with over 1 billion cubic meters consumed in 2016 and about 1 million vehicles currently in circulation.
Outcomes
Using CNG as a fuel has many advantages over traditional fuels.
From an environmental point of view CNG vehicles would reduce emissions of CO2 by about 40%, nitrogen oxides by about 94%, and particulate matter by about 95% with respect to the vehicles replaced, thus significantly lowering emissions.
Investing in natural gas as an automotive fuel would have major economic repercussions on a national level and let both families and business save money.
CNG's economic benefits
A further development of methane for vehicle usage will produce a direct benefit of 1.5 billion euro for Italian produced natural gas technology and more than 1 billion euro in overall infrastructure investments for the development of methane filling stations, with significant benefits also to employment. Consumers will also enjoy overall savings estimated at up to 800 million euro in five years’ time.
As of today, the natural gas road transport sector already has an annual turnover of 1.7 billion euro and employs 20.000 people. In addition, the savings generated by the use of natural gas vehicles and the short lead times associated with the development of a proven, safe and reliable technology provide an opportunity for value creation for families, enterprises and public administration.
Energy for the future
Providing Italy with natural gas infrastructure and technologies could engender further positive outcomes. For instance, it may foster biomethane, a fuel with a footprint similar to the electric. In detail, it may promote an increase in domestic production of gas with positive effects on the agro-food sector, as biomethane is obtained from the processing of agricultural and agro-industrial by-products.