CNG for Alaskan State Vehicles
While traveling in India in 2005-2006, I noticed that a majority of the vehicles that we rode in – Auto rickshaws and classic-looking taxis – ran on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). This was my first exposure to vehicles that did not use standard gas or diesel fuel, and was intrigued by the system and process. The vehicles had a compressed tank in the back trunk, and I had the opportunity to see one being filled while we were in a taxi at one of the smallest gas stations I had ever seen in New Delhi. Mumbai had very distinctive taxis that also run on CNG.
According to a recent Anchorage Daily News article, Alaska is considering changing their fleet to CNG vehicles to help reduce rising energy costs for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
Specialized engines or conversions are required to allow a vehicle to be powered by CNG, which is highly pressurized methane in hard-sided tanks, though some engines are able to switch between regular gas and CNG.
Some of the advantages of switching to CNG are lower fuel prices, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and a lower risk of combustion after an accident – methane has a higher combustion temperature. According to the California Air Resources Board, CNG produced from landfill biogas has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions of any fuel analyzed. The article does not specify where the CNG from Alaska would come from, however, they do mention potential sources on the North Slope.
Some disadvantages of CNG vehicles include the less-established infrastructure, especially in Alaska to distribute CNG to vehicles, CNG requires more space in vehicles because it is a gas instead of a liquid, requiring more room to provide the same amount of energy as gasoline, and challenges associated with the necessary pressure in the tanks and during refueling.
Alaska is beginning the conversation about CNG in state vehicles, and I’m interested to see what the study reveals as it looks at both the short and long-term costs and environmental impacts associated with CNG vehicles.
