CNG up in Brazil

© CompagasRefueling valves placed under the bonnet, inside the engine bay, are commonplace in South America. In fact, they are typical of retrofit CNG conversions in general

To begin with, CNG is certainly gaining popularity in the state of Paraná, according to data from Compagas, a Brazilian natural gas provider. According to the company, there's been a remarkable (6%) sales volume hike in the last few months, which – in plain numbers – means that consumption rose from 87572 m³/day in July, through 91900 m³/day in August, to 92845 m³/day in September. There are currently 37 CNG refueling stations in Paraná, with some of them located in the cities of Curitiba, Campo Largo, São José dos Pinhais, Ponta Grossa, Colombo, Paranaguá, Pinhais and Londrina.

The nationwide rise rate is even more spectacular. According to the Brazilian Association of Piped Gas Distributors, natural gas consumption in the entire country between January and August 2014 was by 12,5% higher than in the same period of 2013. While this still doesn't mean CNG is pushing alcohol-based fuels out of the market, clearly the Brazilian motor fuel market is diversifying and natural gas is poised to play a more significant role than it has been so far. All in all, natural gas accounted for 11,5% of all energy produced in Brazil in 2013, which is already a remarkable figure in its own right, but in all probability will continue to grow.