LNG fuels our future

Natural gas was largely unknown as a fuel in Europe until its discovery in England in 1659. From 1720 on, though, it became the fuel of choice for illuminating streets and houses. The development of the first practical compression refrigeration machine in Munich in 1873 by Carl von Linde paved the way for the large-scale Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production plants that are in operation today. LNG begins its commercial life in 1914 with a patent on LNG handling/shipping. It took until 1964, however, before a serious trade in LNG developed. After the first oil crisis in 1973, trade in natural gas and LNG really took off. Now, with the growing availability of natural gas, the environmental advantages of LNG as a fuel are also being recognized. This lecture will focus on the key challenges and opportunities for LNG technology in a future green LNG fuel supply chain.