Use of Natural Gas
AGP Pratham | 09 April, 2024
Natural gas is currently people’s favourite, given its many benefits. Besides the pocket-friendly natural gas prices, it is substantially less harmful to the environment compared to other available fossil fuels.
Another reason the demand for natural gas has witnessed a surge in the past few years is the decline in the domestic output of crude oil. As per reports by The Economic Times, India produced 32.2 million tonnes of crude oil in the year 2019-20. The total output further dropped to 30.5 million tonnes in 2021, followed by 29.7 million tonnes in 2022.
However, the domestic supply of crude oil, which powers most Indian industries, is way less compared to its demand. This is where greener alternatives like natural gas and compressed biogas step in.
Understanding Natural Gas & its substitutes
What is natural gas? Natural gas, like coal, is a fossil fuel. Often called as fossil gas, it is considered to be by far the cleanest and the greenest source of energy in the present times. As for its composition, methane is the largest component of natural gas. Besides methane, it contains some amount of hydrocarbon gas liquids and nonhydrocarbon gases like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide and water vapour.
Since natural gas is colourless and odourless, mercaptan, an odourizer, is often added to make it detectable in case of gas leaks. CNG or Compressed Natural Gas and LNG or Liquefied Natural Gas are two kinds of natural gas popularly used.
Just like natural gas is a substitute for coal, Compressed Biogas or CBG is a substitute for Natural Gas. Chemically CBG is similar to CNG - they are both compressed methane. However, there is a difference. Unlike CNG, which is a by-product of petroleum, CBG can be produced from any kind of biomass. This includes crop residue, cattle dung, and municipal wet waste. It can be transported in cylinders or through pipelines. CBG is an economically feasible alternative to CNG since it is available in abundance. Furthermore, it can be used in automobile, industrial, and commercial operations to produce clean power.
Areas of Use
The versatile use of natural gas is one of the many reasons why individuals and industries prefer natural gas. Following are some of its uses:
Electricity:
One of the primary uses of natural gas is generating electrical power that is supplied to households and industries for operations
Heating:
Another application of natural gas is heating. The heat from natural gas is comparatively warmer than the heat produced from the electrical pump. Most homes, especially in western countries, use natural gas to heat the water and cook food. Offices too in western countries use natural gas to keep their spaces warm.
Production:
Besides acting as an energy source in the industries to keep the operation going, natural gas is also a key component in production. It is used as a feedstock or raw material for producing petrochemicals, fertilizers, paints, synthetic fibres and more.
Transportation:
Perhaps the most beneficial use of natural gas is for transportation. Natural gas in the form of CNG and LNG powers vehicles. It produces fewer harmful emissions, thereby reducing smog pollution.
Other Uses:
Besides the uses mentioned above, natural gas is used to operate refrigerators and cooling equipment, dry clothes, and provide outdoor lighting.
Wrapping Up
As of 2017, India’s natural gas inventories recorded 43 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven gas reserves. Furthermore, as per predictions, India’s gas consumption is projected to rise to 550 million standard cubic meters per day by the end of this decade.
The statistics demonstrate the increasing adoption of natural gas at present and in the near future. Given its versatility and cost-effectiveness, industries are actively shifting to gas, including the automobile industry. If anything, this hints at one thing - India’s commitment toward a cleaner, net-zero emission economy.
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