Affordable energy for everyone
Over the past decades, many regions of the world have had to continue to rely on oil for power generation, because no low-carbon fuel was available to them. They still face two major challenges: volatile prices and high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Compressed natural gas (CNG) makes low-cost gas easily available to small-scale power plants and it is less polluting than oil and coal. Natural gas infrastructure also prepares the way for cleaner gas from renewable sources.
CNG enables small-scale gas supply at cost-effective prices
MAN CNG makes low-cost gas easily available even to low-demand areas, instantly lowering the carbon footprint of former oil and coal installations. This natural gas infrastructure will then pave the way for cleaner gas from renewable sources or renewable fuels using the same logistics.
Using our Chill-Fill® technology and fiberglass cylinders, CNG can easily be transported from gas producing countries to power plants starting from 50 MW. It can be transported at ambient temperature and does not require special container terminals, just a decompression station at the plant.
In summary, MAN CNG solutions are easy to set up and allow cost-effective and flexible decarbonization.
Advantages of CNG over LNG
In order to transport gas where pipelines are not available, its volume needs to be reduced, either by compression or liquefaction. The advantages of compression are in the handling, as it requires less specialized equipment. The distance between the source and the power plant determines the cost advantage. CNG transport is advantageous up to a distance of 4,000 km, so it is perfectly suited to the Central American and Caribbean area.
CNG is:
- Cheaper than LNG
- Faster to set up than LNG for new destinations
- Able to cost-effectively deliver smaller volumes than LNG
- Able to serve port destinations not accessible by LNG due to shallow waters or rough maritime conditions
Pipeline, LNG or CNG?
Economic and technical criteria for deciding on gas transport method.
| Criteria | Pipeline | LNG | CNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance from source | < 800 km | Any distance | < 4000 km |
| Gas volume | Any volume | < 1,000 MW anchor demand | > 50 MW anchor demand, can grow in a modular fashion |
| Export infrastructure | Compression over distance | Liquefaction plant at dedicated port facility | Compression station near container terminal |
| Infrastructure import | Gas gates / distribution hubs | Regasification terminal at each port, bespoke system, follow-up infrastructure between port and plant | Container terminal and decompression terminal at plant |
| Transport requirements | Repressurization over distance | Cryogenic transport and boil-off management | Ambient temperature, unlimited storage |
Benefits of using CNG
More efficient supply thanks to the Chill-Fill® technology
MAN CNG uses the Chill-Fill® technology, developed by Andalusian Energy, to fill gas containers. By keeping the temperature lower than other systems do, we can fill the gas cylinders faster and store more gas in each container. Both these factors make supply more efficient and reduce the cost of the gas per container.
Simple logistics
CNG is compressed at source and stored in containers that can be transported by ship, train, and truck. A reducing system is used at the power plant to lower the gas pressure. In comparison, LNG requires a special cryogenic terminal at each port and special vessels. CNG carrier vessels can access more remote ports. For power plants with small volume requirements located at short distances from the gas reserve, it is easier and cheaper to set up CNG infrastructure.
Reduced shipping costs
Whereas LNG carriers cannot be used to transport other goods, vessels shipping CNG can carry other cargo to make each journey more profitable.
Fibreglass cylinders
The fiberglass containers used in the MAN CNG solution are lighter than the conventional steel cylinders, more resistant to ambient conditions, and have more capacity, meaning they are more cost-effective overall.
Find out how CNG can help you decarbonize
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Contact us for a full range of CNG transport, storage, and power generation solutions.