More natural gas vehicles are putting RNG in the tank
Last year marked a milestone for renewable natural gas, when it reached 32 percent of all on-road fuel used in natural gas vehicles, according to NGV America and the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas.
The pair reports that in 2018, a total of 645 million gasoline gallon equivalents of natural gas were used as a motor fuel. Of that, more than 204 million gasoline gallon equivalents were renewable.
During the last five years, RNG use as a transportation fuel has increased 577 percent, displacing more than 7 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. The numbers are expected to keep climbing.
In addition, the number of North American RNG production facilities has multiplied more than 2.5 times in the past five years to almost 100 today, according to the RNG Coalition.
Dan Gage, president of NGVAmerica, said he isn’t surprised by the rising numbers. He said it all adds up to good news for the climate and the economy.
“Capturing these otherwise harmful greenhouse gas emissions for use as a clean transportation fuel converts a serious global problem into a climate change solution,” Gage told American Gas. “These projects create American jobs, new revenue streams for family farmers and municipalities, and they create an affordable alternative fuel option for businesses big and small.”
Captured above ground from organic material in agricultural initiatives, wastewater, landfills or food waste, RNG—or biomethane—is carbon-neutral.
Gage said he expects to see more growth in RNG project development and more growth in RNG transportation fuel demand.
He pointed to the American Lung Association’s recent State of the Air report that said more than 141 million Americans live in communities with dangerously dirty air.
“If we want to change that, we need to change our transportation mix. The cleanest heavy-duty engine in the world runs on natural gas,” Gage said. “And when you use RNG to fuel it, the result is carbon-neutral, even carbon-negative depending on the food source. No other commercially available, affordable and environmentally beneficial option exists. And cleaner air starts with cleaner trucks and buses.”