Is CNG really a clean fuel? Myth explained

At a time when the cost of petrol and diesel floats around ₹100 a litre on average, CNG has found a greater footprint in the Indian passenger vehicle market. Almost every car manufacturer in the mass segment sells petrol-CNG powertrains in their respective passenger vehicle offerings. This not only allows the consumers to select from a wider powertrain options, but also to save a lot of money in the long run.

Gone are the days when CNG used to be considered the fuel for commercial vehicles. Nowadays, even the upmarket feature-packed private cars are available with petrol-CNG bi-fuel powertrain. This offers the customers of those cars to run the vehicle both on petrol and CNG as per their preference, ensuring a longer range per refuelling and reducing the overall cost of fuel bills per month. Some carmakers like Tata Motors and Nissan offer AMT technology paired with a CNG powertrain, which further amplifies the appeal of the cleaner powertrain tech.

Is CNG really a clean fuel?

The answer to this question is - No. CNG is not a completely clean fuel. CNG stands for Compressed Natural Gas, which indicates the fuel is derived from natural gas, another form of fossil fuel. However, compared to petrol or diesel, CNG is significantly cleaner. It emits a lot fewer pollutants into the environment compared to petrol and diesel.

The clean fuel tag of CNG is highly debated due to the leakage of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, which occurs during its production and distribution.

Why cannot CNG be considered a clean fuel?

The major environmental concern with CNG is the potential for methane leakage, especially during the extraction and transportation of natural gas. Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas. Even small leaks of methane can have a significant warming effect on the atmosphere, with a substantially higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide. This is a major concern for the extraction and use of CNG, which certainly impacts the idea of CNG being dubbed as a clean fuel.

Advantages of CNG as an automobile fuel

There are significant advantages of CNG being used as an automobile fuel. When burnt in the combustion engines, CNG emits significantly less carbon dioxide compared to petrol and diesel, which means substantially less carbon footprint per CNG vehicle compared to petrol or diesel vehicles. CNG also emits significantly less nitrogen oxides and particulate matter into the air, which are major contributors to smog and air pollution. Burning CNG primarily produces water vapour and fewer pollutants like sulfur oxides and soot compared to traditional fuels like petrol and diesel.