Commentary, 11/12 2004

Natural gas or methane, the cleanest burning of all fossil fuels, has a simple molecule, with four hydrogen atoms arrayed around an atom of carbon (CH4). The resulting CO2 from combustion of natural gas is far lower than that of coal or oil, making it more manageable. But in addition to combustion, methane is also an important source for hydrogen, via steam methane reforming. Most significantly, natural gas has become the fuel of choice, as more and more countries plan to meet their future energy needs via gas. So gas pipelines criss-cross the globe. But pipelines can only go so far before transport costs become prohibitive, and that’s where Liquefied Natural Gas (LGN) comes into the picture.