Researcher favors natural gas as automotive fuel for China

Natural gas has more potential as an alternative automotive fuel in China. Natural gas, which currently accounts for 1% of the nation’s total auto fuel consumption, has made significant progress in recent years and already outstrips all other alternatives fuels by scale of application,” said Ma Fanhua, assistant director of the Tsinghua University-affiliated State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy. Ma added that the country is also technologically ready to adopt Hydrogen Compressed Natural Gas (HCNG), a blended fuel comprised of 20% hydrogen and 80% natural gas. The fuel generates fewer emissions than pure natural gas while providing higher levels of power. While still in the experimental phase, Ma expects that HCNG filling stations will enter commercial operations soon. (July 23, 2007)