Among the various fossil fuel options available, compressed natural gas or CNG is commonly referred to as the green fuel becauset is actually the cleanest of all fossil fuels. Since natural gas is composed mainly of methane, burning it produces carbon dioxide and water vapor. These are the same compounds we exhale when we breathe. Meanwhile, petroleum produces higher carbon emissions, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. Burning fuel oil also produces ash particulates that worsen pollution. Being non-corrosive, it enhances the longevity of spark plugs. Due to the absence of any lead or benzene content in CNG, the lead fouling of spark plugs and lead or benzene pollution are eliminated.
CNG also produces 45% less hydrocarbons than gasoline. And although natural gas also produces greenhouse gases, it is considerably reduced compared to gasoline or diesel. This helps reduce the harmful effects of greenhouse gases to the environment particularly through global warming.
As CNG is a clean burning fuel, combusting it leaves little or no residue compared to petrol or diesel. Therefore, the damage to the pipes and tubes of the vehicle’s engine is drastically reduced. There is also less particulate matter that can contaminate the motor oil. This results to longer periods in between maintenance procedures such as tune-ups and oil changes. Consequently, owners of CNG-powered cars enjoy bigger savings on maintenance costs.