What is Liquefied Natural Gas

Citizens for Growth believes that LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), may be one of the many different types of energy resources to consider as we continue to improve our energy supply.  This article will look what LNG is, how it is transported and what the future holds for its usage.  LNG is natural gas that has been temporarily converted to a liquid form for easier transport and storage.  LNG is non-explosive, toxic, or flammable in its liquid state. 

LNG is produced both worldwide and domestically a cost drastically lower than other forms of energy.  A large refrigeration system is used to liquefy natural gas from it natural state, by cooling it to 260 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.  The volume of LNG vs. typical natural gas is approximately 600 to 1.  Therefore, one LNG tanker can transport the same amount of LNG that equals 600 tankers filled with natural gas.  Liquefied Natural gas is typically shipped from remote areas that are abundant in natural gas–Algeria, Nigeria, and Qatar to name a few.  LNG is also much safer to transport across oceans than other energy products such as crude out. In the past 45 years only 8 major occurrences and not a single incident resulted in spills from cargo tank ruptures.  When LNG arrives in port, it is transferred to insulated storage tanks specifically built to hold LNG. 

The United States has the most LNG facilities in the world.  A majority of the facilities liquefy and store natural gas, some are used exclusively for storing LNG, and a few receive imported LNG and re-gasify it for domestic use.   As the demand for natural gas grows in this country, there will be an increased burden on existing gas storage facilities.   Because LNG has a smaller volume, it has advantages over storing traditional natural gas.  Without sufficient storage capacity, gas prices will elevate unexpectedly for short periods for those that rely on natural gas to heat their homes and in some cases run their automobiles.  Defending construction of new storage facilities and the expansion of existing facilities from abusive lawsuits and over-aggressive NIMBY’s is important to Citizens for Growth.

There are stringent standards that must be met by LNG facilities as required by the Department of Transportation.  These standards ensure public safety and plant durability in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster.  When stringent EPA requirements are met, LNG facilities provide very little impact on the surrounding environment.  Unlike flammable gas and oil, LNG will vaporize if it spills.  These vapors are lighter than air and will dissipate leaving no trace of an environmental impact.  LNG burns cleaner and emits significantly lower NOx and particulate matter than diesel fuel.  There have been no serious accidents involving an LNG terminal facility in America in over 25 years.

With an abundance of natural gas reserves all over the world, LNG is one of the fastest growing sectors in energy production.  Over the last 20 years, technological improvements have provided a decrease in LNG costs.  As our domestic natural gas resources are exhausted, imported LNG will become a progressively more significant source of energy.  It represents the energy supply of the future within the United States.