Where does natural gas come from and what impact does it have on the environment?

The problems in Europe and Spain with the supply of natural gas have focused on this fuel. Where are you from? Is it true that it is sustainable and that it does not contribute to climate change?

The companies that sell natural gas present it as a cheap and clean fuel compared to coal or oil, but the reality is different.

Where does the natural gas come from?

Natural gas is a hydrocarbon composed of methane (79-97%) and various light gases. It is produced by the effect of heat and pressure under the earth’s surface on decomposing organic matter (vegetable and animal) over millions of years.

It is extracted from independent deposits or from joint exploitation of oil and coal. The extraction can be very polluting and aggressive with the environment if the fracking or hydraulic fracture technique is used.

The largest natural gas reserves are in the Middle East (Iran and Qatar stand out) and Central Asia (Russia and Turkemistan). Most of the natural gas that arrives in Spain comes from Algeria and Morocco and travels through two pipelines or gas pipelines. In addition, liquefied (liquid) natural gas is purchased and transported by ship.

There is “renewable natural gas” or biogas, but it does not come from fossil deposits, but from the treatment with bacteria of organic waste (manure, landfills, sludge from water treatment plants). In Spain there are only two biogas production plants.

Does natural gas contribute to climate change and pollute?

natural gas It is a fossil fuel, like coal and oil. Therefore, it is not renewable or sustainable because it will end up running out. According to British Petroleum, the known reserves of natural gas arrive to continue maintaining current consumption for only 55 more years.

When burned, it produces 50-60% less CO2 emissions, the main greenhouse gas, than coal. This does not mean that natural gas is clean, but rather that it’s half as dirty. Replacing a coal-fired plant with a gas-fired one is an improvement, but increasing the number of gas-fired plants is not a good idea.

Natural gas is basically methane, and methane is a gas with a greenhouse effect 23 times greater than CO2. If all the methane were burned, it could not contribute to the greenhouse effect, but the problem is that the exploitation of the gas is linked to methane leaks, especially in the case of fracking.

When burned in a domestic boiler, in the kitchen or in cars that run on liquefied gas (liquid natural gas), it produces 15-20% less polluting gases than a gasoline engine. Therefore, it is polluting and contributes to the toxic cloud that surrounds the cities.

Nitrogen oxide is the main toxic gas from the combustion of natural gas, which also produces small amounts of sulfur, mercury and other polluting particles that increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Alternatives to Fossil Fuels

The cleanest and most sustainable energy sources are those that use the sun, the wind, the water and the earth, in their different versions (solar thermal and photovoltaic, wind, hydraulic, tidal and geothermal). Together they can produce enough energy to move human society.