 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Uses
Residential users
Commercial users
Industry
Power Generation
Natural Gas Vehicles
Fuel Cells
Natural gas is a versatile source of energy, which can be used by different actors. Heating and electricity generation have been the main traditional uses. Increasing environmental concerns may lead to a greater use of natural gas in transportation.
Residential applications are the most commonly known use of natural gas. It can be used for cooking, washing and drying, water warming, heating and air conditioning. Domestic appliances are increasingly improved in order to use natural gas more economically and safely. Operating costs of natural gas equipment are generally lower than those of other energy sources.
Main commercial users of natural gas are food service providers, hotels, healthcare facilities or office buildings. Commercial applications include cooling (space conditioning and refrigeration), cooking or heating.
Natural gas is used as an input to manufacture pulp and paper, metals, chemicals, stone, clay, glass, and to process certain foods. Gas is also used to treat waste materials, for incineration, drying, dehumidification, heating and cooling, and cogeneration.
Electric utilities and independent power producers are increasingly using natural gas to provide energy for their power plants. In general, gas fuelled power plants have lower capital costs, are built faster, work more efficiently and emit less pollution than other fossil fuel power plants. Technological improvements in design, efficiency and operation of combined cycle gas turbines and co-generation processes are favouring the use of natural gas in power generation. A combined-cycle power plant uses waste heat to produce more electricity, while natural gas co-generation, also called combined heat and power, produces power and heat that is useful for industry as well as commercial users. This cogeneration reduces pollution emission considerably.
NGVs are natural gas powered vehicles. Natural gas can be used as a motor vehicle fuel in two ways: as compressed natural gas (CNG), which is the most common form, and as liquefied natural gas. Natural gas vehicles fleet accounts for about one and a half million vehicles worldwide (according to the International Natural Gas Vehicles Association). Concerns about air quality in most parts of the world are increasing the interest in using natural gas as a fuel for vehicles. Cars using natural gas are estimated to emit 20% less greenhouse gases than gasoline or diesel cars. These vehicles are not a new technology since they have been used since the 1930s. In many countries NGVs are introduced to replace buses, taxis and other public vehicle fleets. Natural gas in vehicles is inexpensive and convenient.
A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that combines hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air to produce electricity, heat and water. Fuel cells operate without combustion, so they are virtually pollution free. Since the fuel is converted directly to electricity, a fuel cell can operate at much higher efficiencies than internal combustion engines, extracting more electricity from the same amount of fuel. The fuel cell itself has no moving parts, making it a quiet and reliable source of power. Natural gas is one of the multiple fuels on which fuel cells can operate.
As an illustration, the following graph shows natural gas use history and prospects in USA:
Source: Energy Information Administration
* For more information on natural gas uses, see: Naturalgas.org or American Gas Association
