Argentina is a pioneer in compressed natural gas (CNG) and compressor equipment technologies (e.g. Aspro, GNC Galileo).
According to NGV Global, the total number of vehicles using compressed natural gas as fuel in Argentina reached up to 2.2 million in 2018, which represents 9.5% of the country’s fleet of vehicles. The number of gas supply stations is 2000 units. The average monthly sales volume in the country is 240 million cubic meters and about 3 billion cubic meters per year.
The use of methane in Argentina’s transport began in 1984 as part of a ten-year liquid fuel substitution programme – “Plan de Sustitución de Combustible Líquidos” – to increase the export of oil and petroleum products. Among the first steps were the transformation of several hundred taxi units into CNG and the opening of the first gas station.
Experts point out that among the main steps taken by the argentinian government to stimulate the development of CNG was:
- the creation of a legislative framework in which the extension of the use of natural gas has been included in the scope of national interests.
- responsibility has been established for the implementation of the programme to extend the use of methane as a fuel (YPF and Gas del Estado)
- restrictions have been introduced on the price of CNG at 45% of the cost of petrol.
- owners of converted cars received preferential loans
- rules on the location of fueling stations in localities have been simplified.