Cenergy makes a case for absorbent natural gas system

It was no ordinary Q&A session for Dan Genovese following his absorbent natural gas (ANG) presentation Monday at the 2016 ACT Expo in Long Beach, Calif.

Genovese, a CNG, LNG and NGV sales and marketing expert, got a sales inquiry from a self-identified Russian who approached the podium and asked Genovese to name a price for Cenergy Solutions’ ANG technology.

“We will be more than happy to license the technology so that you can put it in your tanks,” Genovese said from the stage to the man who announced that he was from the Russian Federation. “Come by and see us at our booth and we’ll talk.”

Talk of increasing natural gas storage while lowering tank pressure can be a real attention-getter. Through the years, range anxiety has hampered NGV sales along with a hit-and-miss fuel infrastructure.

ANG storage from Cenergy Solutions permits higher volumes of natural gas at pressures between 100 to 1,000 psi, depending on the absorbent material that’s used.

Genovese explained Monday at the Long Beach Civic Center that Cenergy’s ANG technology is well-suited for the light-duty truck market.

A Ford F-150 fitted with an ANG system will be at the Cenergy booth this week. The truck features an aluminum tank.

ANG tank capacity varies depending on the absorbent material used. Home-based fueling can be accomplished with a single-stage compressor along with synthetic carbon which can absorb up to 350 psi. Organic carbon allows for faster fueling up to 1,000 psi.

Genovese said that the lower storage pressures of Cenergy ANG lowers costs associated with storage, compressors, energy for compression, fueling stations, conversion system components, transportation and distribution.

With 14 million vehicles being sold on average each year in the U.S., Genovese believes that there’s a strong future for natural gas vehicles.

“We truly see it as a mission,” he said.