The Use of RNG as Transportation Fuel for On-road Vehicles Breaks All Records

1. The Use of RNG as Transportation Fuel for On-road Vehicles Breaks All Records Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), a term describing biogas, is a pipeline-quality gas with primary constituents being carbon dioxide and methane. The gas can substitute CNG for several commercial applications, especially as a transport fuel. Governments globally are working on increasing the adoption of RNG as a transport fuel, which will benefit the economy and the environment. One recent update comes from the USA, wherein RNG accounts for about 79% of the on-road fuel consumed by natural gas vehicles in the year 2023. This surpassed the RNG usage of the calendar year 2022, which stood at 69%. The announcement comes from the RNG Coalition (Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas) and TTP (The Transport Project). TTP is a national alliance of around 200 fleets, engine and vehicle dealers and manufacturers, suppliers and services, and fuel providers. The coalition is dedicated to decarbonizing North America’s transportation sector. On the other hand, RNG Coalition is a non-profit association offering public policy advocacy, leadership, and education concerning the deployment, utilization, and sustainable development of the RNG. The alliance includes municipalities, leading organizations/companies, ports and airports, universities, and colleges from Canada and the United States. The Renewable Natural Gas derived from organic waste can lead to carbon-negative results when used as a fuel for on-road vehicles. It includes long and short-haul trucks, reuse and recycling collection vehicles, and transit buses. According to the data of California Air Resources Board, the yearly average CI (Carbon Intensity) value of their bioCNG vehicle fuel portfolio in its LCFS (Low Carbon Fuel Standard) program for the first nine months of 2023 was below zero and carbon negative at -118.85 gCO2e/MJ. The use of RNG as a transportation fuel increased by 16% in 2022 and around 92% in 2019. According to the RNG Coalition and TTP report, 675 million gallons (GGE) of natural gas were used as a transportation fuel in 2023. Of these, 531 million gallons were from renewable sources. Dan Gage, the President of the Transport Project, said, “Commercial fleets deploying trucks fueled by RNG can achieve a cost-effective carbon-negative transportation outcome today without compromising existing business operations. The newest natural gas engines with zero emissions equivalent technology exceed stringent federal NOx emissions standards and are certified to the CARB Model Year 2024 standard without using credits.”

2. David Cox, the CFO and founder of the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas, said, “Renewable Natural Gas supply is growing. With 338 RNG facilities transforming waste into fuel and another 489 planned or under construction, we are increasingly able to affordably offer consumers the opportunity to decarbonize with RNG—the cleanest fuel available today.” The use of RNG as a transportation fuel in 2023 displaced about 6.96 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. It also decreased greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to eliminating the greenhouse gas from around 17.8 billion miles driven by the average car. The increase in RNG use also eliminated carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to removing carbon dioxide emissions from around 783.5 million gallons of gasoline consumed. Additionally, the RNG uses isolated carbon equivalent to growing over 15 million tree seedlings for ten years or around 8 million acres of United States forests for one year. Source: https://locantotech.com/the-use-of-rng-as-transportation-fuel-for-on-road-vehicles-breaks-all- records/