Liquefied Natural Gas Leaves Bigger Climate Footprint Than Coal

A new study from Cornell University shows that liquefied natural gas (LNG) is 33 percent less expensive than coal during processing and transportation. Robert Howarth, a professor of ecology at Cornell, led the study, which shows that LNG is dangerous because of its high energy to condense shale gas into water and transport it. in large vehicles. These tankers burn LNG during transport, emitting methane, a greenhouse gas that is more than 80 times more harmful to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. This emission contributes significantly to the environmental impact of LNG. The study, published in Energy Science and Engineering, shows that the combined emissions of methane and carbon dioxide during the extraction, processing, transportation and storage of LNG half of the greenhouse gas footprint. Assuming a 20-year global warming potential, LNG’s footprint is a third larger than coal. Even in 100 years, the impact of LNG will be as bad or worse than coal. The United States, the world’s largest LNG consumer, produces most of its LNG from shale gas in Texas and Louisiana. The process of cooling the gas to less than 260 degrees Fahrenheit to make it easier to transport is energy-intensive and can lead to methane leaks.

Motor vehicles, especially two- and four-stroke engines, produce more greenhouse gases due to methane emissions during storage and transportation. These greenhouse gases, along with leakage during the liquefaction process, mean that LNG contributes more to climate change than previously thought. Howarth concluded that LNG, often marketed as a better bridging fuel, has a worse climate impact than coal, challenging the idea that it could be used as a transit fuel for access to resources. , destroy.

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