The use of natural gas as an energy source has several advantages when compared to other fossil sources of energy.

• Less pollutant combustion, because it substitutes other more pollutant energy sources such as coal, firewood and fuel oil. It also  reduces deforestation;

• Reduction of the CO2 emission contribution by unit of generated energy;

• Easier to transport and handle, reducing the traffic of trucks; 

• No need of storage, eliminating fuel storage risks;

• Increased safety, as it is lighter than air, the natural gas quickly dissipates in the atmosphere in case of leakage; 

• It helps to reduce urban pollution when used in vehicles, since it reduces the emission of sulfur oxides, soot and particles typical of diesel oil.

Source: Ministry of Environment

The natural gas main applications are industrial, commercial and residential.

Residences, commerce and services

Household use offers safety and convenience. The natural gas is widely used in households, taking the place of bottled gas in the kitchen.

Road Transport

In the sectors of public and cargo transportation, the use of the natural gas is important for pollutant reduction. The replacement of gasoline and alcohol by natural gas as fuel in internal combustion engines brings a drastic pollution reduction in big cities, both in light vehicles (taxis and private cars) and heavy vehicles (buses and trucks). Transporting people and cargo becomes cheaper and, since it is the cleanest fossil fuel, maintenance expenses are smaller and the service life is increased.

Industries

The natural gas improves the products final quality. It does not need heating before combustion, allows precise temperature control and burns completely. Being cleaner, exempts industries spending on anti-pollution equipment. Delivered by pipelines, it eliminates freight and storage costs. It can be used as raw material in the petrochemical (plastics, paints, synthetic fibers and rubber) and fertilizer (urea, ammonia and compounds) industries, and also to reduce iron ore in the steel industry.

Thermoelectric Power Plants / Energy

The natural gas can also be used for energy generation in thermoelectric power plants or in industrial facilities, commercial and service installations in cogeneration systems (combined production of steam and power).

Source: GasNet