Cenergy Solutions in conjunction with its joint venture partner in India, APPL Industries, achieved a first by successfully converting an Auto Rickshaw or Three-Wheeler to use natural or biogas stored at low pressure in an ANG tank.  This technology will positively impact air quality by reducing vehicle emissions worldwide.  

Cenergy Solutions, a US-based company, and its joint venture partner APPL Industries, an India-based company, has made a major breakthrough that will reduce emissions from an estimated 100 million three-wheel vehicles operated in countries throughout the world.  By converting a three-wheel vehicle to run on ANG technology, this has the potential to globally reduce CO₂ emissions significantly while making the utilization of three-wheel vehicles cheaper, more efficient, safer, and cleaner for the three-wheel operators. Three-wheel vehicles are utilized world-wide to economically transport passengers. Operating these vehicles with ANG technology will have a positive global impact for the operators, passengers, and communities in terms of improved economics and reduced environmental footprint.

Gary Fanger, CEO of Cenergy Solutions said, “Utilizing Cenergy Solutions’ patented Adsorbed Natural Gas technology in three-wheel vehicles worldwide is monumental when you look at the positive impact it will have on our global CO₂ emissions and the financial impact it will have on the operators and their passengers. We were confident that we had the ability to utilize our ANG technology in three-wheel vehicels years ago but the COVID pandemic postponed our conversion plans. We have now successfully converted a CNG three-wheel vehicle utilizing our ANG tank that can store natural and biogas at low pressures, reducing operation costs and speeding up the filling process. It is amazing how well the converted three-wheel vehicle operates–it runs as well as it did on CNG, but benefits from the many advantages of using an ANG low pressure storage system with readily available natural gas and biogas.”

Adsorbed Natural Gas (ANG) techology utilizes adsorbents to store methane molecules at high densities and at lower pressures compared to much more expensive high pressure CNG tanks. The low pressures of ANG (~a few hundreds of psi) drastically reduces the cost, complexity, and danger associated with CNG (~a few thousands of psi!).   The costs of compressors, vessels, and piping are drastically reduced.  Cenergy Solutions’ patented techology allows existing approved CNG tanks to be converted to ANG tanks, or cheaper, lighter and lower pressure rated Type 1, 2, 3,or 4 tanks can be utilized instead, to store the natural or biogas.

Some of the advantages of using ANG vs CNG on three-wheel vehicles include:

• The natural or biogas is stored at low pressures in an ANG tank making it safer than CNG systems.
• Any approved CNG three-wheeler can be converted to ANG by any Certified CNG upfitter.
• Three-wheelers can be fueled and operated in rural areas, using local biogas or natural gas from stranded wells.
• ANG tanks are filled to low pressures, reducing the energy and equipment cost compared to that required for CNG systems.
• ANG tanks can make use of biogas and wellhead gas that would otherwise be flared, released to the atmosphere, or otherwise wasted reduces our environmental footprint. 
• Using the ANG technology with exisiting CNG tanks can provide 15% more range.
• ANG technology enables a reasonable amount of fuel storage even when a fueling station runs low on pressure availability.
• ANG tanks can be filled at home or business where natural gas lines are available.
• Three-wheelers run better on ANG compared to CNG, because the adsorbents facilitate a more consitant and controllable flow of gas to the engine. The result is better performance and reduced emissions.
• Converting a CNG tank to an ANG tank is very ecomomical and can be done in less than three hours in most cases.
• Three-wheelers running on gasoline can be converted to also run on ANG tanks.

Utilizing or converting ANG technology on new and used three-wheel vehicles will help an untold number of people reduce their transportation costs. Using locally available natural and biogas is critical to families around the world that face high energy cost and energy scarcity. ANG technology reduces the carbon footprint of those that can’t afford upgraded clean vehicles.

Cenergy Solutions also has large stationary low pressure (250 psi) ANG tanks available that can store from 1000 up to 1 million cubic feet of natural or biogas. These low-pressure tanks are much more economical than the high-pressure CNG tanks that are used for natural gas storage. Low pressure storage enables reduction if not elimination of compression requirements. These differences makes it possible for many remote locations to store and use the biogas and natural gas that is currently being wasted, vented, or flared.