The Civil Engineering Contractor March 2019 | Page 42

SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS
Natural gas vehicles: beating the costs
The natural gas distribution network of standalone and in-house fuelling stations in the country is key.
T
here are many reasons why
natural gas is increasingly
becoming the fuel choice for
many commercial fleets; top of the
list is the economic advantages. When
compared to petrol, diesel, and liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas is the
most economic transport fuel alternative.
As of 26 September 2018, it is R7.10
less per litre than 95 octane petrol
in Gauteng.
NGV Gas, the natural gas provider
of commercial fleets and a division
of CNG Holdings, is enabling the
growth of gas-powered transport
in South Africa through a rapidly
expanding compressed natural gas
distribution network of standalone
and in-house fuelling stations in
Gauteng and soon in KwaZulu-
Natal. In recent years, technology
has improved significantly to
allow for an increase in natural
gas vehicles, particularly for
fuel-intensive vehicle fleets,
such as public transport and
commercial vehicles.
Why natural gas?
Natural gas, being the cleanest-
burning alternative transportation
fuel available today, offers an
opportunity to meet the soon-to-be-
established carbon emission restraints
40 | CEC March 2019
of the Carbon Tax Bill. In addition,
natural gas is very safe; because
it is lighter than air, in the event
of an accident it simply dissipates
into the air, instead of forming a
dangerously flammable pool on the
ground like other liquid fuels. This
also contributes to the prevention of
ground pollution.
The chemical composition of
natural gas allows CNG vehicles to
burn much cleaner than traditionally
fuelled vehicles. In addition to the
far cheaper per-unit cost of natural
gas, it is one of the safest transport
fuels available.
It is much cleaner than petrol and
diesel, with up to 27% less CO 2 ,
nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbon, and
particulate matter emitted compared
to other fossil fuels. This is not
just of environmental importance:
the cleaner fuel significantly lowers
vehicle maintenance and running
costs, with less contamination and
residue build-up across engine
components.
Since CNG is a cleaner burning
fuel, it leaves little or no residue
compared to other fuels. Therefore,
the damage to the pipes and tubes
of the vehicle’s engine is greatly
reduced. There is also less particulate
matter that can contaminate the
motor oil. This results in longer
periods in-between maintenance
procedures such as tune-ups and
oil changes. As a result, owners of
CNG-powered vehicles enjoy bigger
savings on maintenance costs.
Natural gas vehicles could serve as a
better economic alternative for large
fleets of vehicles that drive many
miles a day. Taxis, transit and school
buses, airport shuttles, construction
vehicles, garbage trucks, delivery
vehicles, and public works vehicles
can all be well suited to natural gas
fuelling. Because these vehicles are
centrally maintained and fuelled, it is
economical and beneficial to convert
to natural gas.
NGV Gas says that an estimated
2 000 vehicles, including taxis,
government and private fleet, buses,
LDVs, and trucks are currently
running on CNG in South Africa.
The cost of converting a vehicle to
natural gas, according to NGV, is:
• Petrol sedans and bakkies:
± R25 000 excl. VAT, subject to
vehicle assessment;
• Diesel bakkies and LDVs:
± R40 000 excl. VAT, subject to
vehicle assessment; and
• Buses and trucks: ± R150 000
excl. VAT, subject to vehicle
assessment. nn
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