06/30/2023
Source: Energy & Management Powernews
Liquefied natural gas is more harmful to the climate than gaseous natural gas due to its upstream chain. This explains the Ifeu Institute in a study and gives current figures, cause and solution.
On behalf of the Science Platform Climate Protection, the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg gGmbH (Ifeu) examined the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Germany before it is burned. For this purpose, the scientists evaluated the emission values for the most important potential future supplier countries. They used technological data, existing emission inventories and the results of recent measurement campaigns. The analysis covered all process steps from natural gas production, processing, liquefaction and transport to landfall and regasification in Germany.
The Ifeu said that the report, which has now been published, shows that it is particularly the methane emissions, which have so far been insufficiently taken into account, that make LNG comparatively harmful to the climate. Methane is the main component of natural gas released during the extraction and transportation of LNG.
The methane slip is not a fundamentally new finding, as study leader Daniel Münter comments, "The upstream chain - extraction, processing and transport - has always been part of the environmental impact of natural gas. But for LNG, this section performs significantly worse than for pipeline gas from many other countries."
In numbers, that means CO2 emissions from burning gas - in power plants or heating systems, for example - are about 56 grams of CO2 equivalent per megajoule (gCO2e/MJ). In the upstream chain of LNG, up to 50 percent emissions are generated additionally:
- For natural gas from Algeria, which could be delivered as LNG in Germany, the additional emissions of the upstream chain are around 27 gCO2e/MJ.
- LNG from the U.S. has an upstream chain burden of about 23 gCO2e/MJ and
- Qatar of just under 18 gCO2e/MJ, according to the Ifeu analyses.
For comparison, the upstream chain for pipeline gas from Norway is only about 3 gCO2e/MJ.
Quality and equipment of the producing countries are crucial
According to the researchers, the majority of emissions escape during actual production, i.e. extraction and processing (upstream). While this emission of climate gases in Algeria is over 19 gCO2e/MJ, the value for natural gas production in Qatar is only 7 gCO2e/MJ. Thus, upstream emissions are about two and a half times higher in Algeria, which is much closer.
Münter: "Age and quality of equipment in producing countries play a huge role in climate protection." For example, natural gas escapes from leaky pipes and equipment in all producing countries during production. The rule of thumb is: The older the production technology and the more incomplete the control by the authorities, the more natural gas is likely to be released. In addition, he said, gas is repeatedly intentionally released when equipment or wells are being serviced.
The United States occupies a special position. Since "unconventional" natural gas is predominantly extracted there (fracking), the number of wells and thus also the potentially leaking equipment is much higher than in Qatar, for example. In contrast, the additional climate-relevant emissions from on-site liquefaction and regasification in Germany are similar for all countries - between 6.3 and 8 gCO2e/MJ. Transport from the production site to the port of loading plays a minor role in comparison (0.1 to 1 gCO2e/MJ).
A possible solution
The Ifeu scientists emphasize: Due to liquefaction and transportation, LNG would have a worse carbon footprint than natural gas produced in Europe, even in the best case scenario. But at least methane emissions would be largely avoidable. According to the researchers, producing countries could even quickly recoup the investment in better technology, as they would lose less natural gas and subsequently be able to sell more natural gas.
In a "methane strategy," the EU is now developing technical rules for gas production within Europe, they say. "However, the lion's share of methane emissions from the natural gas we use originates outside Europe, and that is where the EU is still very timid, especially in its current import dependency," Münter said. The study, " Analysis of the greenhouse gas intensities of LNG imports to Germany , is available for download on the Ifeu website.
Author: Davina Spohn
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