What is liquefied natural gas

The same vessel can contain 600 times more liquefied natural gas than conventional one. First LNG plant has been already constructed and solemnly commissioned in Russia in 2009.

Gazprom Gazomotornoye Toplivo  – a sole operator company focused on expanding the use of natural gas as a vehicle fuel

From gas to liquid

 
Natural gas cooled after cleaning from admixtures to the condensation temperature (-161.5 °C), turns into liquid called “liquefied natural gas” (LNG). The volume of gas is contracted by 600 times during liquefaction, which is one of the main advantages of this technology.

For remote areas

LNG is produced at the so-called liquefaction facilities (plants), following which it can be transported in special cryogenic tanks: sea tank ships or tank cars. It enables rapid delivery of gas to the areas located far from the gas trunklines that are traditionally used for conventional natural gas transmission.

Furthermore, LNG can be used as a fuel, whose eco-friendliness is much better than that of diesel fuel.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Liquefied natural gas can be stored for long periods, which makes it possible to build stocks. LNG is returned to its initial gaseous state at regasification terminals before delivery to end consumers.

First liquefaction

First attempts to liquefy natural gas for commercial purposes date back to the beginning of the 20th century. In 1917, the first LNG was produced in the USA, but the development of pipeline systems delayed improvement of this technology for a long time. Next attempt to produce LNG was made in 1941, but the production reached commercial scale only in the mid-1960s.

 

To date, main LNG exporters include Qatar, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia.

In Russia, the construction of the first LNG plant started within the Sakhalin II project in 2006. Joining this project, Gazprom made another step to implement its strategic goal of becoming a leader among global energy companies by developing new markets, diversifying activities, and ensuring reliable supplies. Construction of the LNG plant is particularly important from this perspective, since it will enable extension of the Gazprom business geography and access to the global LNG market. The ceremony of the plant commissioning was held in the winter of 2009.