Environmental friendly fuel choice – LNG is on the rise! Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is becoming an increasingly attractive energy option. It is rapidly gaining popularity as being the best choice with its clean-burning qualities. While much of the historical and current focus is on LNG fuel usage in the maritime industry, interest in LNG extends to other forms of transportation as well.
A large package carrier has more than 2,500 natural gas-powered vehicles on the road today, nearly half of which use LNG and the remainder use CNG (compressed natural gas).
The heavy truck industry is also in the midst of switching to cleaner fuels as part of the wider societal trend to reduce emissions. One example is an extra large equipment company, who’s products are used in certain mining activities are being handled by its LNG-powered big-haul trucks.
The railroad industry is also exploring LNG in a major way – actively considering the conversion of diesel locomotives to run on LNG. Such actions would require major retrofits and are therefore costly, but the economics are beginning to look promising. A major railroad in Florida has 24 LNG-powered locomotives in service currently.
Beyond the transportation and off-highway vehicles markets, the potential for LNG looks promising as well. Asphalt plants are recognizing the potential for LNG to displace less-clean fuels traditionally used in preparing the asphalt mixture.
In Jamaica, a well known brewery’s operations are reportedly switching from heavy fuel oil to LNG in the boilers they use for sterilizing beer. And in three Canadian provinces, facilities mining diamonds, gold, copper, zinc and molybdenum are being developed that will use LNG to power their electric generators.
And just when it seems that the sky’s the limit when it comes to the expansion of LNG into many new sectors, we discover that LNG is poised to go beyond even that. A private space launch company is working to develop a new rocket engine fueled by LNG. The goal of the project is to develop technologies that enable human access to space at significantly lower cost. Testing on the newly developed engine is currently in process, with first flights anticipated before 2020.
With the continued expansion of the LNG sector, Amazon Hose is very excited about what the future holds for this industry. We are committed to its growth and will continue to develop solutions for this rapidly growing market.
For assistance with the highly specialized hoses and couplings, please consult with one of our experienced sales technicians at (800) 506-5514. You can also visit our website at www.AmazonHose.com.