LNG
Valves within the LNG sector
After receiving feedback from our readers, we at Valve World have decided to implement some new changes into our magazine. We have decided to introduce overviews of our special topic areas and the role of valves within these industries to provide more introductory content to the magazine. For this issue, a short overview of the LNG sector and the role of valves are discussed.
By Lyndsey Denton-Fray, Valve World
Aerial of Liquified Natural Gas carrier moored to a small gas terminal at night.
Liquified Natural Gas( LNG) consists mainly of methane, sometimes with traces of ethane and propane 1. The LNG market is one of the most challenging markets due to the properties of LNG, such as its temperature. To be in a fluid state, the gas has to be cooled to around-162 degrees Celsius, with the process temperature going down to-198 degrees Celsius. Being in a liquid state allows for the gas to be transported and stored more easily as the volume of the gas reduces by around 600 times in liquid form.
Supply chain
There are many steps in the supply chain of LNG, such as the production of the gas, transportation, conversion to LNG, storage of LNG and usage of LNG. The production of natural gas is either from offshore platforms or being extracted from underground reservoirs. After being purified, the natural gas is cooled into a liquid form ready for transportation. The gas is then transported either through pipelines or by cryogenic ships that can handle the low temperatures of the gas. When the gas has been transported to the LNG terminal, the LNG is then converted back into a gaseous state before being distributed to end users to be consumed for power generation or industrial processes.
Environmental considerations
Addressing climate change has led the world to explore cleaner forms of energy. In its liquified state, LNG is a cleaner alternative to coal and oil as during combustion, natural gas produces fewer greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides 2. Using LNG as a way to bridge the transition from using fossils fuels and the challenges of the intermittency of solar and wind power offers a more reliable and flexible source of energy. However, whilst LNG is considered a cleaner alternative energy, methane leakages during extraction, transportation and storage are still of concern 3.
Demand and flexibility of LNG
The demand for LNG has increased globally due to multiple factors. The need for more dynamic energy markets to bridge political and environmental issues are some of the main reasons, causing new markets to develop. Europe increased its LNG imports by more than 60 % in 2022 to offset the decline in Russian shipments due to the Russo-Ukrainian war. This increase allowed Europe to maintain energy security whilst also showing the flexibility in of the LNG industry 4. Whilst the ability to redirect LNG shipments has enabled the industry to respond quickly to crises in the world, there has also been issues of oversupply due to extenuating factors. For example, there was low demand for LNG in 2019, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and by 2020, there was a severe oversupply of LNG 5. However, due to increasing demand for cleaner energies and need for energy security, LNG is expected to play a significant role in the energy transition.
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