PTQ Gas 2022 Issue

look beyond the energy market to the areas where oil and gas products are used in hard-to-abate industries. Natural gas’s relationship with low carbon intensity hydrogen, for example, is needed as part of the larger solution. That solu- tion also includes investment in other low-carbon technologies, and together should leverage existing infrastructure to bring down the cost of low-carbon hydrogen. Truly carbon-neutral technologies, like renewables, will require not only massive investments in generation assets but also significant upgrades to transmission, distribution, and other infrastructure across the power grid to support their additions to the energy load. Hydrogen produced from natural gas can serve as a more cost-effective option. This route avoids some of the current barriers to net-zero hydrogen projects while using the available natural gas resources – and existing infrastructure – that have already been developed around the world. Sustainable fuels can also be deployed in the transportation sec- tor and in many applications that currently rely on oil and gas. Many

sustainable fuels can be supported by natural gas infrastructure that is retrofitted to accommodate these new fuels. For example, RNG can make use of existing natural gas storage and transportation infra- structure with no changes to the equipment. Some natural gas infra- structure can be retrofitted to accom - modate hydrogen with relatively few changes, while LNG terminals can be easily adapted to accommo- date ammonia. Reconciling Responses to the current disarray in the market will vary across nations as each navigates its own needs, resources, and political consider- ations. For many, the overarching answer will be to increase domestic reliance on renewables, concentrat- ing resources on the clean energy transition. While this approach will find success, it would be imprudent to equate the accomplishment of this mission with an elimination of the need for oil and gas, as natural gas can and will support the clean energy transition in many ways, even playing its own role in a net- zero economy.

Overall, it is likely we will see the global demand for natural gas decrease over the long term as the decarbonisation movement pro- gresses. In the near term, however, it is likely to remain steady, shifting instead toward the use of natural gas in cleaner, more sustainable ways while we develop infrastructure and technology solutions needed to decrease carbon intensity over time. The core of energy independence plans should balance investment in renewable energy resources with considerations on how to build resil- iency and security into the natural gas supply. Focusing solely on clean energy without incorporating plans for the continued use of natural gas would be short-sighted, as natural gas offers a support, both financially and technologically, to the clean energy transition. Bryan Mandelbaum is Director of Hydrogen Solutions at Black & Veatch, responsible for early feasibility studies and engineering through turnkey EPC and long-term O&M scopes. Carina Winters is a process engineer focused on developing technical solutions for clients in the energy industry, with an emphasis on sustainability and decarbonisation.

Alphabetical list of advertisers

DecarbonisationTechnology.com

IBC

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Atlas Copco Energas

Axens

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Böhmer

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Burckhardt Compression Decarbonisation Technology Summit

Sulzer

Zwick Armaturen

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40 Gas 2022