CNG conversions mandated in Iran

[MartinLeaf]

Can anyone tell me why Iran has a law that all vehicles must run on compressed natural gas (CNG) by a certain date (Argentina has already converted 100%). Is this a case of the pusher (Iran) cynically promoting its poisonous drug (gasoline) that the addict (U.S. ) is just dying to get a fix of. What is even more perverse is that US has almost all the world's natural gas, and it does not pollute. Of course such a conversion, which can be done today, would make Iranian Oil and Iran worthless, which they both should be. So the question is why ? Energtek is a leader in this tech.


Moderator note: new thread started and post(s) moved for this topic

[Andy-Paul]

Re: CNG

Can anyone tell me why Iran has a law that all vehicles must run on compressed natural gas (CNG) by a certain date (Argentina has already converted 100%).

My understanding of Iran's situation is that they have been treating petroleum as a social entitlement since the Ayatollahs took over in '79. Because they have been pumping oil at such a tremendous rate and selling it at a loss, their fields have been very poorly maintained, and no sustained technical thought has gone into keeping the well pressures up. Due to this and several years of embargo, they may have oil, but it's getting very tough to extract.

Also, they have been in serious economic difficulty and need to export oil in order to pay off foreign-held dept. I assume they have extensive NG deposits and would rather use the less expensive option to continue the social entitlement program.

I have heard arguments suggesting that these reasons are also why the Iranians are pursuing nukes. They need the power source for their grid that badly. I make no claim to the veracity of any of this, but it makes sense.

Andy-Paul

[Lakewood90712]

CNG conversions mandated in Iran

They have plenty of crude capacity , but are very short of refinery capacity . They used to flare off a massive amount of ng to get rid of it.

Some others, Pakistan, India are forcing the conversions because they look at oil as a finite strategic material, not to be wasted on ground transportation .

[rtry9a]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

The reason is simple- they don't have radical environazi-led by-the-nose Democrats to block reasonable energy developments in their government.

Also, they can sell all the oil they want in the world market, not nat gas, and the Mullahs need cash badly because of UN sanctions. Makes sense to sell oil and use nat gas/electricity, just like it does here in the US.

[Lakewood90712]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

What is even more perverse is that US has almost all the world's natural gas, and it does not pollute.

The US is maybe 5th or 6th in natural gas reserves , and imports about 40% of current useage. We have a lot , but still import a lot, mostly from Canada. Much of our gas is in "stranded" fields. No pipelines to get it to market at this time.

IIRC , Russia is #1 in natural gas reserves ( take a look at api.org for info ) .

Look at whoever is having LNG tanker ships built , and you will find large natural gas reserves.

[MartinLeaf]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

http://marine.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/gas-hydrates/title.html

Including methane hydrate, I read somewhere US has the most.

[younkin]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

Tehran, July 9, IRNA
Iran-Gas-CNG Station
Fuel Optimization Organization managing director, Abbas Kazemi, here Sunday announced that 1,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations would become operational by the Iranian year end (March 20, 2008).

Abbas Kazemi told PIN the process of equipping the cars with gas-fueled system had been accelerated, predicting that the number of cars with gas-operated engines would soar to 3.25 million.

He said there were only 120 gas-fueled cars in the country in the previous year while the Fuel Optimization Organization and automakers were obliged to equip 500,000 cars with dual-fuel system each.

The carmaking companies are duty-bound to produce gas-operated cars as of July 23, he said.

Kazemi said 212 CNG stations are currently working in the country.

He added only 40,000 CNG tanks are made by domestic
manufacturers yearly while the country requires about one million and is forced to import them from China, South Korea, Central Asian, Latin American, and European states.

Iran, the Middle East's biggest carmaker, would stop producing cars that only run on gasoline this month and would instead ensure all new vehicles run on gas too, an official said Saturday.

The announcement follows Iran's move last month to start rationing gasoline to curb expensive imports the world's biggest oil exporter must make because it lacks refining capacity to meet domestic demand.

Some cars in Iran, which has the world's second largest reserves of oil and gas, already run on both gasoline and CNG, but most only use gasoline.

"In two weeks' time, the production of gasoline-only vehicles will be stopped by the Ministry of Industries and Mines," the economic daily Jahan-e Eqtesad reported, quoting a deputy industries and mines minister.

He did not give details about how the plan would be implemented.

Industries and Mines Minister Mohammad-Reza Tahmasbi said Thursday cars already on the roads in Iran would eventually become dual-fuel.

Industry experts say there are more than 25 carmakers in the Islamic Republic, including state-owned or partly state-owned firms.

Iran produces a range of light and heavy vehicles. The biggest carmaker is Iran Khodro which has ventures with foreign firms such as France's Renault and China's Chery Automobile Co. It also produces Peugeot models.

Under the rationing scheme implemented on June 27, private cars can buy 100 liters (22 imperial gallons) of fuel a month -- which many drivers complain is not enough -- at the heavily subsidized price of 1,000 rials (11 US cents) a liter.

Vehicles which run on CNG as well are restricted to 60 liters of gasoline a month. There are no restrictions on CNG, but drivers say there are far fewer pump stations offering CNG.

Economists say heavy subsidies have encouraged waste and a thriving smuggling trade to Iran's neighbors. But some say that raising prices, rather than setting quotas, will be a more efficient way of curbing usage.

[MartinLeaf]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

Very interesting. Thanks. I am sending this to the chairman of the Michigan House Commerce Committee, whom I spoke to about CNG last week. it floored him to find out Iran was going CNG.

[younkin]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

Martin, Here is the link, the article was from last year.
I guess Iran may be beating us in the CNG Race.
I can see now why CNG Components are hard to come by here in the US, LOL, Jim

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-237/0707094740140447.htm

[mecklen]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

they don't have radical environazi-led by-the-nose Democrats

Is this kind of rhetoric a Good Thing?

[rtry9a]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

I think so... as a note of explanation: I am a moderate/borderline conservative but politically neutral (neither Repub nor Demo), but I am an environmentalist by education and experience. Im all for conservation and developing our primary and our alternate and renewable energy resources as soon as possible- IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER!

I find that the Democrats are led by a bunch of special interest groups that tend to grossly oversimplify and live to generate headlines that sway uninformed masses; they do not pay much attention to science or studies that counter their ideologies (they decide issues before they study the facts).

The environazi's (Sierra Club/ ALGore types) generally tend to be extremely fact deficient but highly visable and well funded, they do not understand ecology and natural balances (generally make things worse), and apparently, confuse the rules of cause and effect with correlational influences. They block real actions in the courts, increase costs, cater to special interests and not the general public, and print misleading half truths rather than educate and fix- they never spend their own funds to improve anything in the environment like their arch foes, the hunters, sportsmen, and our industries do.

Take their favorite argument: global warming. It is now warmer than the average global temps, true; but only if you ignore all data before the 1800's, which by the way was a very cool period, aka the little ice age. If you look at long term temp charts, the current warm period appears to be the top of a normal cycle and turning down. They ignore biased sampling methodology- temperatures now being generated are compared (temps measured next to heating vents, over blacktops, different thermometer coatings, etc) to equipment that was shaded, whitewashed, and located in farmland.

The data suggests temps are more a function of solar cycles than co2 levels; in fact, historical data suggests that co2 levels increased 800 years after the earth warmed the last time around. They also fail to mention that the last 8 years have been cooler than the peaks in the 1990's don't they, and last year was much cooler than the norm.

CO2 is a minor, insignificant atmospheric gas ( less than 2% concentration) that is need by and used by all vegetation to recycle oxygen (process called photosynthesis) and make sugar. When it comes to the greenhouse effect- natural matirials like water vapor, methane, and particulates are much greater influences. Man is responsible for tenths of a percent of the co2 being generated by natural sources- insignificant compared to the oceans, forest fires, and volcanos. The hysteria surrounding the cap and trade crap is political and driven by special interests- it has resulted already in worldwide hunger, rising energy prices, and worse, it has delayed much needed action getting real energy reform moving. There is nothing man can do that will reduce CO2 noticably, and nothing that will affect our climate. The deforestation of our tropical rain forests is the possible exception, btw.

[mecklen]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

.. I am an environmentalist by education ... The environazi's (Sierra Club/ ALGore types) ... Take their favorite argument: global warming. ... The data suggests temps are more a function of solar cycles than co2 levels ... CO2 is a minor, insignificant gas...

Okay, I now understand your point of view better. By all means keep on calling strangers rude names, if you think it will help you change people's minds.

[rtry9a]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

PC aside, I call them like I see them. Environmentalnazi is not my term, but it fits them well- Fascism was based on keeping the masses intentionally ignorant and blindly motivated through State control.

FWIW, I wish these groups were strangers- Ive had a lot of interface/discussion with many of them. With very few exceptions, Ive found the "folks" to be sincere and motivated, which is great, and unfortunately, they fell somewhere between mislead by these environmental activists and largely ignorant on the issues they held so dear.

It wouldn't be so damned frustrating if they would listen and discuss an issue or two intelligently, but all they want to do is get on a soapbox and preach their talking points- just like the opinionated Neonazi Mullah's in Iran .

[rtry9a]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

PC aside, I call them like I see them. Im not trying to change anyone's mind- perhaps to educate sufficiently to motivate some study of the facts/issues. Environmentalnazi is not my term, but it fits them well- Fascism was based on keeping the masses intentionally ignorant and blindly motivated through State control.

FWIW, I wish these groups were strangers- Ive had a lot of interface/discussion with many of them. With very few exceptions, Ive found the "folks" to be sincere and motivated, which is great, and unfortunately, they fell somewhere between mislead by these environmental activists and largely ignorant on the issues they held so dear.

It wouldn't be so damned frustrating if they would listen and discuss an issue or two intelligently, but all they want to do is get on a soapbox and preach their talking points- just like the opinionated Neonazi Mullah's in Iran and many Democrat leaders (like Polosi, for example- she is ripping the heart out of our Nation and destroying our Kid's future- all for her self-serving political ideology).

[mecklen]

Re: CNG conversions mandated in Iran

...she is ripping the heart out of our Nation and destroying our Kid's future- all for her self-serving political ideology...

I find it sad that this kind of divisive, polarizing talk creeps into every discussion these days. I was under the impression that we were all here because we love CNG vehicles and want to support each other and the country to move in that direction.

This kind of emotion-charged post does nothing to further these goals. If we are to succeed in changing the direction of this country it will be by engaging political conservatives, environmentalists, hawks, doves, cheapskates and do gooders. I think it is very important to put aside those emotional issues that divide us and focus on the task at hand -- using CNG to improve our lives and the country.

I guess that was a soapbox, huh? Oh well, I guess maybe you were right.