Compressed Natural Gas, or CNG, has become one of the best options if we want to replace diesel or gasoline as fuel for vehicle fleets. At Castrosua, innovation has always been one of our core values, and in the case of CNG bodies, we have been pioneers of this technology in Spain for years.
If we look back, we can proudly see that we have been manufacturing CNG bodies for over 25 years, starting in 1992, and offering our services to both cities and transport consortia, exceeding the figure of 2000 Class I and Class II bodies powered by CNG.
But is CNG suitable for all circumstances in road passenger transport? Does using CNG offer a competitive advantage over other fuels like diesel? Let’s look at it below.
An optimal fuel for short and medium distances
Having manufactured this type of body for so many years has given us great experience, allowing us to advise our clients on the optimal vehicle according to their needs. Currently, CNG vehicles offer ranges of up to 400 km in urban traffic and up to 800 km in suburban and interurban transport.
In urban areas, the demand for CNG-powered transport is growing every day. More and more cities across Spain are opting for this fuel. We are talking about cities like Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, Valencia, Murcia, Guadalajara, Seville…
For them, Grupo Castrosua offers a high degree of customization in its buses, so much so that we offer a range of lengths from 10.2 meters to 18.75-meter articulated buses, as well as many other configurations. Primarily, the vehicles we body are from two manufacturers: SCANIA and MAN, as they supply us with the platforms on which we can perform our work. The engines, on the other hand, are OTTO CYCLE engines, just like gasoline engines, meaning they operate by explosion through ignition of the gas-air mixture.
However, if we talk about long distances, meaning ranges of more than 800 km, CNG is not the most recommended option; in this case, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is more appropriate.
In Spain, there are gradually more CNG stations, as we can see on the Gasnam website. Gasnam is an association that promotes the use of natural and renewable gas in mobility, both terrestrial and maritime, on the Iberian Peninsula. It currently has 130 members from multiple sectors: energy, automotive, engineering, freight and passenger transport, ports, shipping companies, shipyards, universities, and administrations. They promote the use of natural and renewable gas as an alternative fuel, supporting the decarbonization of the economy and the fight against climate change.
CNG: cleaner, quieter, more economical
Natural gas contains less carbon than traditional fuels and therefore emits much less CO2 when used as a vehicle fuel. Furthermore, we can say that a kilo of gas is cheaper than a liter of diesel. Although the price of a CNG vehicle is higher than a diesel one, the operating cost is reduced thanks to the lower fuel price, which usually more than compensates as the kilometers driven increase. This option is clearly the most economical, while also meeting environmental and operational parameters sustainably.
However, the advantages of using CNG go beyond the fuel price.
Unlike diesel, CNG does not emit sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides, which are some of the causes of acid rain. Additionally, compressed natural gas reduces particulate matter emissions, which affect health when inhaled, and carbon monoxide.
Likewise, not only are gas emissions reduced, but also noise pollution. CNG-powered vehicles are quieter than diesel vehicles, just as a gasoline car is quieter than a diesel car.
Thus, we can see that CNG is the only real alternative to diesel, with estimated supply for transport for the next 500 years (much longer than oil) and covering practically all modes of transport. Currently, we can find not only buses powered by natural gas but also cars, trucks, and even boats.
In Galicia, our home, it seems that progress is being made with the opening of a new public CNG service station for all types of vehicles in Santiago de Compostela. And, at the European level, in the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, an already approved directive, member states are asked to have CNG stations every 150 km and LNG stations every 400 km on main routes by 2020.
