Alternative fuels such as LNG and CNG: overview of the differences
The renewable fuel biomethane is surrounded by a large number of abbreviations for a wide variety of products, including LNG. To help you keep track, the explanations of all the necessary abbreviations can be found on the following definition page.
CNG
The abbreviation CNG stands for Compressed Natural Gas. The gaseous CNG consists of around 98% methane, most of which is covered by natural gas. Biomethane and synthetic methane usually make up a smaller proportion. CNG can be used by cars or trucks with a petrol engine that has been converted to a natural gas/CNG drive system.
converted to a natural gas/CNG drive. In the passenger car sector, VW and Fiat have a range of CNG-powered series vehicles. In the truck sector, Scania and Iveco are strongly represented in CNG drives and New Holland will soon be launching a 180 hp tractor with a CNG drive in series production. There is already a comprehensive network of filling stations in Germany with almost 900 CNG filling stations. CNG is therefore the only alternative fuel with a nationwide network of filling stations that significantly reduces CO2 emissions. CNG can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 25% compared to diesel.
Bio-CNG
Bio-CNG stands for Bio-Compressed Natural Gas. It has the same qualities as CNG, but consists of 100% biomethane. Biomethane is produced by fermenting organic waste or liquid manure in a biogas plant. Cars or trucks powered by CNG can easily be refueled with bio-CNG. One advantage of bio-CNG is its low greenhouse gas emissions, which makes it one of the most climate-friendly fuels.
LNG
The abbreviation LNG stands for liquefied natural gas. In contrast to CNG, LNG is not gaseous but liquid. It is characterized by a high energy density and good storage options and is particularly predestined for heavy goods transport and shipping. It is kept liquid at a temperature of below -162°C
and the high energy density means that LNG trucks can achieve a range of over 1500 km. Trucks powered by LNG are already available in series production from the Scania and Iveco brands. Similar to CNG, LNG reduces greenhouse gas emissions, but with fewer than 40 filling stations, there is still no nationwide filling station network for LNG. Alternative fuels such as LNG could play a greater role here in the future.
Bio-LNG
Similar to bio-CNG, bio-LNG consists of 100% biomethane. Bio-LNG has similar material properties to LNG. The farmer can liquefy the bio-LNG directly at the biomethane plant or deliver the biomethane to a collection point. The potential for bio-LNG is very large, as e-mobility has been difficult to realize to date, mainly due to the high weight of the batteries in heavy goods and shipping transport. Fuels such as bio-LNG and BIO-CNG offer a good alternative here.
LPG
LPG, also known as liquid petroleum gas, is a liquid gas consisting mainly of the substances butane and propane. It is intended for use in combustion engines after a conversion and is a by-product of oil and gas refining. In contrast to CNG, LPG does not have a climate-friendly variant, but the CO2e emissions of LPG are nevertheless 15% lower than those of gasoline.
PTG
PTG stands for Power to Gas. Power to gas plants can be used to produce various fuels using electrical energy, such as hydrogen or synthetic methane. The current problem with PTG systems is often that the greenhouse gas balance of the fuels produced is worse with the German electricity mix than with petrol or diesel.
