Natural gas benefits and considerations
AGP Pratham | 07 September, 2022
Are you aware that India is now witnessing a surge in the use of natural gas? Natural gas is the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon that has an application in nearly all industries. It has become a safer alternative, helping the world meet the demands of fuel supply.
What is natural gas?
Before proceeding with the benefits and considerations, it’s vital to answer the question: What is natural gas?
Natural gas, also known as fossil gas, is the least harmful hydrocarbon. It is colorless and odorless and contains low carbon content. Natural gas is used to warm food for cooking and heating. Furthermore, it fuels power plants that supply energy to homes and businesses. It also serves as a fuel for several industrial processes that create everything, from glass to textiles. Lastly, natural gas is a key component in items like paints and plastics.
Two forms of natural gas are currently popular as fuel in the automobile industry - Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Compressed Natural Gas is made by compressing natural gas to as low as 1% of its volume in atmospheric pressure. In contrast, Liquefied Natural Gas is produced via purification and cooling, leaving behind methane and a small number of hydrocarbons in its composition.
Synthetic natural gas is created from coal and can be transmitted in a natural gas pipeline. It is a substitute for natural gas that has 95% methane. Furthermore, it serves as a desirable power source in the absence of natural gas.
Benefits & consideration
Besides its wide application in several industries, there are many more benefits of natural gas that make it suitable for use.
• Natural gas is adaptable and versatile.
• Starting and putting off a gas-powered power plant is substantially faster than those powered by coal.
• Natural gas complements other renewable energy sources like solar or wind energy, which are only applicable when the sun is bright or the wind is blowing.
• When used to produce power, gas is the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon. It releases about half as much carbon dioxide (CO2) in comparison to coal.
• Natural gas emits nearly one-tenth as much air pollutants as coal.
• CNG-powered vehicles produce no evaporative emissions because of their sealed fuel systems.
• A light-duty vehicle powered by compressed natural gas emits 15% lesser life-cycle greenhouse gas.
• Natural gas is safer for the environment, given its tendency to produce fewer harmful emissions on use.
• Natural gas is a substantially cheaper source of power than petrol or diesel
The way ahead
The increasing demand for natural gas (CNG and LNG) as an alternative to petrol or diesel is driving the Indian government to maintain and improve natural gas inventories. The demand is also pushing the automobile industry and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), given that the upcoming CAFE norms necessitate the average corporate CO2 emissions to be less than 130gm/km.
Most companies have already adapted to natural gas for their day-to-day operations at plants and factories. By switching to gas from coal, there is a significant opportunity to reduce CO2 emissions and air pollution. Additionally, natural gas is comparatively cost-effective. The natural gas benefits are undeniable, proving it to be a dependable energy source in today’s times.
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