Cheap Fuel Experiment Could Mean Big Savings, Fresher Air in Marion

Marion is testing out an alternative type of fuel that officials say if successful could save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars and make for cleaner air. 

The project centers on converting diesel vehicles to compressed natural gas for fuel. Compressed natural gas is substantially cheaper - less than half the current traditional fuel prices - burns cleaner and is more efficient, two city officials say.

"If the technology is proven, it will provide a greener way to do things and also a much cheaper way to do things," said Ryan Miller, Marion public services director. 

The question will be whether it works as well in reality as it sounds, but things sound promising. 

"Every city I've talked to has very good luck with it," Miller said.

If so the savings could top $200,000 a year, another city official said.

"We'd save about $200,000 a year just on the solid waste fleet alone," City Manager Lon Pluckhahn said. 

The seven city garbage trucks suck down 2.8 miles per gallon with a fuel cost of about $3.40 a gallon. The compressed gas would boost it up to about 3.2 miles per gallon, but the real savings would come at the pump where in Wisconsin they are charging $1.44 a gallon to the public, Pluckhahn said.  

The city will soon rollout the test of the idea by converting two diesel public service pickup trucks so they can accept compressed natural gas for fuel. The cost to convert isn't cheap at about $10,000 a vehicle.

Right now Grimes and Cedar Falls are the only communities in Iowa that have compressed gas. 

The pump at this point would strictly be for government use - a pump would be installed at the public works department - but Pluckhahn said they may look at expanding it to the public. 

Miller said compressed gas is pressurized to 3100 psi, burns cooler in engines and produces less soot. 

According to the Iowa Clean Cities Coalition, compared with gasoline and diesel, compressed natural gas can produce significantly lower carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, nonmethane hydrocarbon, particulate matter, and other toxic emissions, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

Natural gas vehicles are not available on a large scale in the U.S.—only a few models are currently offered for sale, according to www.fueleconomy.gov. However, conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles can be retrofitted for compressed natural gas.