LPG vs. natural gas: these are the differences you should know about

When deciding on LPG vs. natural gas, it can be useful to look at the differences between the two fuels. A comparison of the two gases provides information on this.

Liquefied petroleum gas vs. natural gas: these are the differences

Both natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas are fossil fuels. Both fuels are obtained from the extraction of crude oil and provide heat and electricity as energy sources. They are suitable for heating and cooking. Although they have many things in common, there are also some differences.

• Methane is the main component of natural gas. Liquefied petroleum gas, on the other hand, consists of propane and butane as its main components.
• While liquefied gas already changes into a liquid aggregate state at six bar, natural gas requires 200 bar or extremely low temperatures for liquefaction. The liquefaction of natural gas on earth is therefore very costly.
• While natural gas arrives at consumers via pipelines and is fed into the municipal grid from there via storage facilities, liquefied gas does not reach households via pipelines.
• Liquefied petroleum gas often travels by sea, as it is often transported from oil rigs. On land, it is transported by train or tanker truck.
• Tanker trucks deliver the raw material from the respective supplier’s warehouse directly to private households.
• For the more rural areas in particular, connection to the natural gas pipeline, if not already in place, can subsequently become very expensive.
• In these cases, the supply of LPG offers more autonomy.
• While natural gas is fed directly through the pipeline, LPG tanks are usually stored in the garden or underground to supply the household accordingly.

Application areas: Liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas are used here

Both natural gas and LPG can be used to generate energy and heat.

• Liquefied petroleum gas is often used for combustion in gas heating systems because it has a fairly high calorific value
• Liquefied petroleum gas is also used to generate electricity.
• Natural gas is an important energy source, especially within industrial processes. Here it is used for the generation of heat
• Fields that require a constant supply of heat in production processes often make use of natural gas. This includes sectors such as the glass, porcelain or car parts industries.
• Gas is also used to supply private households for heating.