INL/PNNL Small-Scale Liquefier
Natural gas plays a key role in the world energy supply. It is used for electrical production, transportation, heating, manufacturing, and chemical production. While the U.S. has one of the better natural gas infrastructures in the world, the lack of an efficient distribution system is one of the overall market limitations. One of the biggest challenges facing the industry is getting the natural gas resources to the market. In some parts of the world, natural gas is being flared and wasted and is considered to be of little or no value. When released into the atmosphere, natural gas is one of the more potent greenhouse gases, but when combusted, natural gas is one of the cleanest fossil fuels.
INL has been heavily involved in the use, treatment, and storage of natural gas since the 1990s. It has established significant DOE programs and, in recent years, has been involved in assisting industry with technical challenges. Deregulation has placed utilities in a situation where they have had to eliminate their research and development organizations, but at the same time they were faced with increased competition. The facilities designed and built by INL and industry partners include a small-scale liquefier located less than a mile from Old Town Sacramento and an Liquefied/Compressed Natural Gas (LNG/CNG) fueling station in the San Joaquin Valley.
The international energy crisis and rising oil prices have caused a tremendous increase in demand for natural gas infrastructure and efficiency improvement technologies. The demand is also increasing for the ability to utilize local resources on a distributed basis. Industry and international funding seems to be rapidly increasing. As a result of high profits from oil, research funding is available from oil and gas companies. In areas of the world where countries are exporting natural gas at a low price and importing gasoline and diesel at high costs, funding is also becoming available.
For more information please view our natural gas web page.
- Contacts:
- Bruce Wilding, (208) 526-8160, Send E-mail