drawn from gas wells or in conjunction with crude oil production. As deliv- ered through a pipeline system, it also contains hydrocarbons such as ethane and propane as well as other gases such as nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide, sulphur compounds and water vapor. A sulphur-based odorant is normally added to CNG to help detect leaks. An advantage is that natural gas
is lighter than air and will usually dis- sipate if there is a leak, which makes it safer than gasoline or LNG. LNG is natural gas stored as a
super-cooled, or cryogenic, liquid. The temperature required to condense natu- ral gas depends on its precise composi- tion, but it typically ranges between minus 184 and minus 274 Fahrenheit. LNG offers an energy density compa- rable to petroleum and diesel fuels, which extends range and reduces the frequency of refueling stops. The disadvantage for LNG is
the high cost of cryogenic storage on vehicles and the major infrastructure requirement of LNG dispensing sta- tions, production plants and transpor- tation facilities. The tank cost to store CNG or LNG
isn’t insignificant by any means. J.B. Hunt Transport has been look-
ing at natural gas extensively for at least 5 years and published a white paper “Natural Gas in Transportation” in 2014 on the feasibility and growing popularity of alternative fuel sources. The publication states J.B. Hunt is making progress on several fronts to overcome the hurdles slowing down the adoption of natural gas vehicles. “It definitely starts with the eco-
nomics,” said Jerrod Mounce, direc- tor of fuel management for J.B. Hunt Transport. Mounce explains that diesel is
gas revolution has been a slow one. Natural gas comes in two primary
forms, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). According to Alternative Fuel
Systems Inc., CNG is stored on a vehicle in high-pressure tanks. Natural gas consists mostly of methane and is
38
stored in ‘two big aluminum cans bolted to the side of the truck, and those cans that hold all the energy as a component of that truck’s cost are only a few hun- dreds dollars.” In contrast, Mounce said the expense can be between $20,000 and $60,000 to store liquid or com- pressed natural gas on the truck.
According to Mounce, the econom-
ics will start to make more sense when equipment manufacturers—the truck manufacturers and the fuel tank manu- facturers—come together to make the vehicles more affordable. The price of the fuel itself is already
competitive. Goreham said the presence of natural gas and the overall fuel glut in the U.S. is driving prices in a positive direction for consumers. “The good news for the trucking
industry is it means low cost fuel” for at least the near run, Goreham said of the natural gas impact, which will allow companies to spend their money on other investments and improvements.
COUNT THE WAYS Why is natural gas becoming popu-
lar? Goreham cites four factors. The first is simple cost. It was just a
few years ago that diesel fuel was selling for $3.50 to $4 a gallon while a gallon of natural gas was priced around $1.5. “We went through a couple years
when the price of natural gas was very low and the price of petroleum was high,” Goreham said. That led people to consider comparatively cheaper natural gas as an alternative. Second, while he says it is not nec-
essarily a sustainable energy source, Goreham said natural gas’ popularity is also enhanced by its reputation as a cleaner fuel. “[There is] a lot of public relations
that natural gas is a cleaner fuel, and in part, that’s true,” Goreham said. He explained that natural gas con-
tains low levels of EPA “criteria pollut- ants” like lead, nitrous oxide, sulphur oxide and ozone as well as other partic- ulates that are found in higher quantity in diesel fuel. Another contributing factor in
natural gas’ popularity is that local and state governments have begun to convert their short haul fleets of city buses and garbage trucks to natural gas, Goreham said, which demonstrated its usefulness and reliability as a fuel source. UPS, one of the country’s largest
carriers, has been one of the more proac- Issue 4 2016 | ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT
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