39,000 natural gas fuelling stations expected by 2025

The global number of natural gas fuelling stations is expected to grow to almost 39,000 by 2025, according to a report by Navigant Research.

Reduced operational costs and abundant supply could be the key factors behind a boosted natural gas market for vehicles. According to the recent study, today´s 23,001 liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) stations, could increase to up to 28,887 in a ten year period.

“In the arena of alternative fuels for transportation, natural gas has proven to be one of the most popular alternatives to traditional liquid fuels in many global markets, either in the form of CNG or LNG, with the former being by far the more common,” said Sam Abuelsamid, Senior Research Analyst with Navigant Research.

“However, in order for any alternative to gasoline or diesel to be viable as a transportation fuel, readily available refuelling infrastructure is an absolutely necessary component of the ecosystem,” he added.

The report finds that the development of a national market also depends on government policies towards alternative fuels. Either governments or automotive manufacturers will have to help reluctant filling station operators with the costs of installing natural gas dispensers and adapting existing infrastructure.