Liquefied natural gas

As a liquefied natural gas ( LNG abbreviation for engl. Liquefied natural gas or GNL for double gaz naturel liquéfié ) is called liquefied natural gas by cooling it to -164 to -161 ° C ( 112 K to 109 K). LNG has about a 600stel of the volume of natural gas in gaseous form.

Especially for transport and storage purposes LNG / GNL has great advantages. Technically loses the natural gas thereby his property line of bondage and can thus as a special liquid bulk in special transport containers by road, rail and water are transported. So far, this type of transport played only a minor role, since, in particular for the elaborate liquefaction about 10 to 25 percent of the energy content of the gas are required. Lying to bridging distances between natural gas supply and load less than 2,000 kilometers, the transportation by pipeline or natural gas as compressed natural gas (CNG ) ( gaseous) are more economical.

Transport

The default transport is ensured through pipelines from the gas production site to a custom-built LNG terminal in a port. In the LNG terminal before the gaseous natural gas is liquefied to LNG. These systems are very expensive. Subsequently, the LNG is pumped to special ships sailing to another LNG terminal and LNG promote there again with the ship's cargo pumps on land. The growing vessels - also referred to as 2G Tanker - according to safety category. Further transport takes place mostly after conversion to the gaseous state via pipelines to the gas transmission companies, mainly in the end to a hub.

In 2004, about 26.1% of natural gas transports were carried out in the form of liquefied natural gas around the world, in 2009 there were already 27.7 %. Due to the current high gas prices and the expected further increases in the wake of the price fixing of oil but this transportation option for natural gas increasingly gaining in importance. Currently, more than 25 percent of the world's natural gas transported are transported by LNG trend is rising.

Has special significance this type of transportation, however, due to the geographical location and the long transport routes and associated high cost of offshore pipelines for countries in the Far East, including Japan. Together with South Korea and Taiwan go nearly 80 percent of global LNG exports to these Asian economic powers, with Japan refers almost half of it.

Increasing importance

In the course of the debate on the security of supply in the context of since the turn of 2005/2006 repeating every year Russian-Ukrainian dispute over the price of gas is brought in Europe the use of liquefied natural gas to diversify the sources of supply and to avoid one-sided dependencies repeated this week. Therefore, to more terminals are constructed.

Hazards

The greatest danger is in an inflammation of the gas during liquefaction or gasification of the LNG terminal.

Use as a fuel

Especially in the shipping industry, the importance of the direct use of LNG as a fuel for the propulsion of internal combustion engines. Especially for LNG carriers that transport LNG to offer this. In the meantime, an advantage is also seen in the use of other types of ships. For this, however, bunker stations in the ports are required in which LNG is available.

Floating Liquefied Natural Gas ( FLNG )

In contrast to the now existing methods, funded at sea natural gas by pipeline to lead to nearby beaches and convert there in liquefied natural gas, aims still new method FLNG from it, already the natural gas at sea - close to the funding body - to liquefy, intermediately and folded back onto transport ships. This should be done in quasi-stationary positioned in the vicinity of the funding agencies large ships, similar to the already practiced in petroleum production process FPSO.

In this way, particular -coast natural gas deposits to unlocking their exploitation is inefficient so far due to the high cost of construction and operation of a pipeline.

One of the current projects is FLNG Prelude FLNG of Royal Dutch Shell.