As many energy resources become diminished, it is essential to find viable alternatives to meet growing needs over the long term. Among the solutions considered and which have already proven their worth, liquefied natural gas stands out as a real model for the future. What are its characteristics and advantages?
Abundant energy that benefits from efficient operating processes
LNG or liquefied natural gas is an abundant and easily accessible fossil energy. In addition, its distribution around the globe appears to be homogeneous. This makes it possible to simplify its operation and offer different investment plans. These concern extraction sites, regasification terminals, as well as transport solutions (gas pipeline, LNG tanker, etc.) and storage. As such, the liquefaction process optimizes space since 600 m3 of natural gas is equivalent to 1 m3 of liquefied gas. There is no loss of calorific value.
Energy transition: less environmental impact
Alongside its optimized exploitation, LNG is also appreciated because it is neither toxic nor corrosive. Its handling is safer than some resources. Furthermore, liquefied natural gas is less polluting than other fossil fuels. Among the most popular estimates, it emits carbon dioxide emissions that are 45% lower for coal and 30% lower for fuel oil. Future CO2 storage solutions can therefore take this into account. Nitrogen oxide emissions are halved, while sulfur dioxide emissions are almost non-existent. Enough to respond to the challenges of the energy transition to limit global warming in many areas.
The different possibilities of daily application
The versatile use of LNG also constitutes one of the main advantages of this energy resource. Among the major applications, we can focus on the following sectors:
- Urban networks.
- Energy consumption systems dedicated to businesses and individuals;
- Fuel for air and sea transportation.
- Fuel for road and rail vehicles…
Some solutions are already democratized, while others are still the subject of studies to increase their performance. For example, for heavy goods vehicles. Likewise, liquefied natural gas is part of an energy mix process on variable scales, notably for a municipality, a region or a country. This is a complementary solution to alternatives such as hydro-river parks, geothermal energy or wind energy.
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