A new era for CNG Heavy-Duty Transport

Locally, there are many cases like the cities of Mendoza, Lavalle and Las Heras that have succeeded in adopting the CNG system, despite initial resistance, as a result of which municipal trucks have been powered by natural gas for more than seven years. This transition has not only generated huge savings to municipalities, but also entails a positive result in terms of environment impact, by reducing both emissions and noise levels pollution. Lately, companies such as Coca Cola, Bimbo, Chandon and Andesmar have been taking advantage of the use of natural gas for transportation.

With 524,000 trucks plying across the country, the potential savings are very significant considering that diesel imports represent a large financial burden on the public accounts. The country can save USD 400 million annually with the conversion of only 10,000 trucks, a figure that represents nearly 2% of the total fleet.

In the short term, importing gas will be still more convenient than importing diesel. However, a long-term view facilitates the introduction of another variable: a report from the Energy Agency of the United States (EIA) reveals that Argentina ranks third, after the U.S. and China, in the worldwide shale gas resources list. The fuel is currently being explored in the country.

“We believe that with the CNG technology for heavy-duty transport we are able to assist in the country’s development,” said CAGNC president Fausto Maranca. “In an agricultural and live-stock breeding country, lowering the cost of transportation is beneficial for the entire production chain and also relieves the public accounts.”

“It’s been a long way to go but now it is becoming a reality,” Maranca added. Companies like Materfer, Iveco and Tatsa locally produce passenger transportation vehicles that are exported to and operate in other Latin American countries.