Atlanta Gas Light testing adsorbed natural gas tech for light-duty vehicles

Atlanta Gas Light is testing out a new system on light-duty vehicles, enabling them with adsorbed natural gas bi-fuel technology created by Adsorbed Natural Gas Products, Inc (ANGP).

“The transportation sector accounts for the largest portion of total U.S. Greenhouse Gas emissions and 80 percent of smog-forming pollutants come from mobile sources,” said Ian Skelton, director of natural gas vehicles at Southern Company Gas, the parent company of Atlanta Gas Light. “Natural gas is playing an important role in reducing emissions, and adsorbed natural gas can significantly reduce the cost and complexity of fueling natural gas vehicles. We are pleased to help demonstrate this new technology in our AGL fleet operations.”

Adsorbed natural gas (ANG) functions through activated carbon, working to reduce the storage pressure of natural gas without sacrificing the volume of the stored. This, developers said, allows for a cleaner and lower cost fuel, and by introducing it to vehicles like SUVs, pickup trucks and service vans, significant savings could be provided versus gasoline or diesel options.

These vehicles could be fueled through public-access compressed natural gas stations, or anywhere with a refueling compressor. Further, they can be refilled at about one-fourth the PSI of other compressed natural gas vehicles, reducing energy consumption and fueling time.

“Reducing the compression requirement for natural gas vehicles by 75 percent is a game changer that enables low-cost public and private fueling of ANG equipped natural gas vehicles,” Bob Bonelli, President of ANGP, said. “Having Atlanta Gas Light as a project partner will provide invaluable insight and support as we work to demonstrate the value of ANG to light-duty vehicle fleets and commercialize this exciting new technology.”

Atlanta Gas Light is currently purchasing vehicles with the new technology installed and, supposing they test well, could purchase more such vehicles, as well as validate them for others’ use. For the test, the adsorbed vehicles will e studied against standard natural gas vehicles and conventional gas vehicles.