Gas: Solution or Problem?

Gas has emerged as a strong growth area, given its cleaner carbon profile compared to other fossil fuels. Natural gas comprises primarily methane, and can be liquefied and transported in special ships as Liquefied Natural Gas or LNG. But two other forms of gas could play a role in the energy transition: propane and butane can be liquefied to make Liquefied petroleum Gas, or LPG, and both fuels are increasingly used in lower income and developing countries, and have a much lower carbon footprint than diesel and heavy fuel oil which they tend to replace. Meanwhile, ethane is used in some countries as a petrochemical feedstock. Methane, ethane, propane and butane are all hydrocarbon fuels, although it’s also possible to make methane as a bio-gas, for instance by using waste materials.