Liquefied Natural Gas supports Sweden’s industry
Natural gas is the world’s third most important energy source after oil and coal. It occurs naturally deep underneath the earth’s crust in many places around the world. Natural gas currently represents a quarter of the global energy supply but only around 2 percent in Sweden.
Natural gas is used in industry, in power plants, in district heating and in sea and overland transport. Throughout Europe, natural gas has traditionally been regarded as a form of green energy. Here in Sweden, we have tended to regard it more as a fossil fuel due to its origins.
We set strict requirements on low emissions and renewable energy in Sweden, but we would like to make greater use of the energy gases. But there is still too little biogas while there are great natural gas resources. Both largely have the same content, namely methane gas.
Why the demand for natural gas is increasing
There are many reasons to take an interest in natural gas. It has major advantages over other fossil-based energy sources – not least the fact that natural gas gives off fewer undesirable emissions. But also because natural gas is more efficient and kinder to the environment than the other fossil fuels which are currently used in industry, shipping and overland transport.
The great boost for natural gas in Sweden is the “new and old” technique of condensing it to liquefied natural gas (LNG) by chilling it to -163°C. In liquefied form, the natural gas takes up just 1/600 of the volume it has in gas form. It can therefore be transported and stored more efficiently, making it available to areas without a gas network. The majority of Sweden lacks a gas network entirely, except for the west coast. That is why AGA’s new terminal for liquefied natural gas in Nynäshamn is a major step forward. Natural gas is now available in central Sweden and in the Baltic countries.
Liquefied Natural Gas paves the way for gas
The decisive argument for liquefied natural gas is that the production of biogas is insufficient. The shortage of biogas and the limited distribution of natural gas for a long time were obstacles to investments in the use of gas within industry. Now that natural gas is available to a larger geographical area, it is possible and economically feasible to build the infrastructure for gas. Replacing inferior fossil forms of energy with Liquefied Natural Gas reduces emissions and paves the way for the future. Sweden thereby buys some time in the fight to achieve its environmental targets.
AGA’s role is to contribute to a sustainable society
At AGA, we firmly believe that environmental targets are achievable, not only in Sweden, but in Europe and worldwide, if we can develop innovative ways to successively switch infrastructure and energy use over to more sustainable systems and methods through new insights and new technology. AGA’s investment in the Baltic’s first terminal for Liquefied Natural Gas is the biggest investment in energy gas in Sweden in 25 years, and AGA’s biggest ever investment.
The new LNG terminal in Nynäshamn
Liquefied Natural Gas technology has been around for a while but has not been used here extensively. The terminal in Nynäshamn makes LNG available to steel and other industries, and shipping and overland transport in eastern and central Sweden. The terminal’s storage capacity is 20,000m3 of LNG and the gas is supplied in specially designed ships with vacuum-insulated tanks. The gas currently comes from Norwegian deposits. However, this technique creates flexibility and is independent of suppliers and infrastructure.
Natural gas is the world’s third most important energy source after oil and coal. It occurs naturally deep underneath the earth’s crust in many places around the world. Natural gas currently represents a quarter of the global energy supply but only around 2 percent in Sweden.
Natural gas is used in industry, in power plants, in district heating and in sea and overland transport. Throughout Europe, natural gas has traditionally been regarded as a form of green energy. Here in Sweden, we have tended to regard it more as a fossil fuel due to its origins.
We set strict requirements on low emissions and renewable energy in Sweden, but we would like to make greater use of the energy gases. But there is still too little biogas while there are great natural gas resources. Both largely have the same content, namely methane gas.
Why the demand for natural gas is increasing
There are many reasons to take an interest in natural gas. It has major advantages over other fossil-based energy sources – not least the fact that natural gas gives off fewer undesirable emissions. But also because natural gas is more efficient and kinder to the environment than the other fossil fuels which are currently used in industry, shipping and overland transport.
The great boost for natural gas in Sweden is the “new and old” technique of condensing it to liquefied natural gas (LNG) by chilling it to -163°C. In liquefied form, the natural gas takes up just 1/600 of the volume it has in gas form. It can therefore be transported and stored more efficiently, making it available to areas without a gas network. The majority of Sweden lacks a gas network entirely, except for the west coast. That is why AGA’s new terminal for liquefied natural gas in Nynäshamn is a major step forward. Natural gas is now available in central Sweden and in the Baltic countries.
Liquefied Natural Gas paves the way for gas
The decisive argument for liquefied natural gas is that the production of biogas is insufficient. The shortage of biogas and the limited distribution of natural gas for a long time were obstacles to investments in the use of gas within industry. Now that natural gas is available to a larger geographical area, it is possible and economically feasible to build the infrastructure for gas. Replacing inferior fossil forms of energy with Liquefied Natural Gas reduces emissions and paves the way for the future. Sweden thereby buys some time in the fight to achieve its environmental targets.
AGA’s role is to contribute to a sustainable society
At AGA, we firmly believe that environmental targets are achievable, not only in Sweden, but in Europe and worldwide, if we can develop innovative ways to successively switch infrastructure and energy use over to more sustainable systems and methods through new insights and new technology. AGA’s investment in the Baltic’s first terminal for Liquefied Natural Gas is the biggest investment in energy gas in Sweden in 25 years, and AGA’s biggest ever investment.
The new LNG terminal in Nynäshamn
Liquefied Natural Gas technology has been around for a while but has not been used here extensively. The terminal in Nynäshamn makes LNG available to steel and other industries, and shipping and overland transport in eastern and central Sweden. The terminal’s storage capacity is 20,000m3 of LNG and the gas is supplied in specially designed ships with vacuum-insulated tanks. The gas currently comes from Norwegian deposits. However, this technique creates flexibility and is independent of suppliers and infrastructure.
