Atlanta Gas Light, a subsidiary of Southern Co. Gas, plans to test adsorbed natural gas (ANG) bi-fuel vehicles with new integrated fuel storage technology developed by Adsorbed Natural Gas Products Inc. (ANGP).
ANG technology uses activated carbon to reduce the storage pressure of natural gas without sacrificing its volume. ANG vehicles operate at a significantly lower storage pressure than standard compressed natural gas vehicles, refilling at 900 psi instead of 3600 psi. According to Southern Co. Gas, this can reduce energy consumption by over 50% and decrease fueling time by over 60%.
“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,” says Ian Skelton, director of natural gas vehicles at Southern Co. Gas. “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.”
Atlanta Gas Light, which provides natural gas delivery service to more than 1.6 million customers in Georgia, is purchasing light-duty trucks for its fleet with the new ANG storage system and will test their performance compared to standard natural gas and gasoline vehicles over the demonstration period.
Results from the test will inform the company’s decision to purchase additional ANG vehicles and help validate the technology for use by others.
Bob Bonelli, president of ANGP, says, “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.”
