Lower-Carbon Substitutes for Natural Gas for Use in Energy-Intensive Industries: Current Status and Techno-Economic Assessment in Lithuania
Significant shortfalls in meeting the climate mitigation targets and volatile energy markets make evident the need for an urgent transition from fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives. However, the integration of zero-carbon fuels like green hydrogen and ammonia is an immense project and will take...
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2025-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2670 |
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| author | Aurimas Lisauskas Nerijus Striūgas Adolfas Jančauskas |
| author_facet | Aurimas Lisauskas Nerijus Striūgas Adolfas Jančauskas |
| author_sort | Aurimas Lisauskas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Significant shortfalls in meeting the climate mitigation targets and volatile energy markets make evident the need for an urgent transition from fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives. However, the integration of zero-carbon fuels like green hydrogen and ammonia is an immense project and will take time and the construction of new infrastructure. It is during this transitional period that lower-carbon natural gas alternatives are essential. In this study, the industrial sectors of Lithuania are analysed based on their energy consumption. The industrial sectors that are the most energy-intensive are food, chemical, and wood-product manufacturing. Synthetic natural gas (SNG) has become a viable substitute, and biomethane has also become viable given a feedstock price of 21 EUR/MWh in the twelfth year of operation and 24 EUR/MWh in the eighth year, assuming an electricity price of 140 EUR/MWh and a natural gas price of 50 EUR/MWh. Nevertheless, the scale of investment in hydrogen production is comparable to the scale of investment in the production of other chemical elements; however, hydrogen production is constrained by its high electricity demand—about 3.8 to 4.4 kWh/Nm<sup>3</sup>—which makes it economically viable only at negative electricity prices. This analysis shows the techno-economic viability of biomethane and the SNG as transition pathways towards a low-carbon energy future. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-093dd6ea7e1e4d1eadec8deeb47adeab |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-093dd6ea7e1e4d1eadec8deeb47adeab2025-08-20T02:33:02ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-05-011811267010.3390/en18112670Lower-Carbon Substitutes for Natural Gas for Use in Energy-Intensive Industries: Current Status and Techno-Economic Assessment in LithuaniaAurimas Lisauskas0Nerijus Striūgas1Adolfas Jančauskas2Laboratory of Combustion Processes, Lithuanian Energy Institute, LT-44403 Kaunas, LithuaniaLaboratory of Combustion Processes, Lithuanian Energy Institute, LT-44403 Kaunas, LithuaniaLaboratory of Combustion Processes, Lithuanian Energy Institute, LT-44403 Kaunas, LithuaniaSignificant shortfalls in meeting the climate mitigation targets and volatile energy markets make evident the need for an urgent transition from fossil fuels to sustainable alternatives. However, the integration of zero-carbon fuels like green hydrogen and ammonia is an immense project and will take time and the construction of new infrastructure. It is during this transitional period that lower-carbon natural gas alternatives are essential. In this study, the industrial sectors of Lithuania are analysed based on their energy consumption. The industrial sectors that are the most energy-intensive are food, chemical, and wood-product manufacturing. Synthetic natural gas (SNG) has become a viable substitute, and biomethane has also become viable given a feedstock price of 21 EUR/MWh in the twelfth year of operation and 24 EUR/MWh in the eighth year, assuming an electricity price of 140 EUR/MWh and a natural gas price of 50 EUR/MWh. Nevertheless, the scale of investment in hydrogen production is comparable to the scale of investment in the production of other chemical elements; however, hydrogen production is constrained by its high electricity demand—about 3.8 to 4.4 kWh/Nm<sup>3</sup>—which makes it economically viable only at negative electricity prices. This analysis shows the techno-economic viability of biomethane and the SNG as transition pathways towards a low-carbon energy future.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2670substitute gasnatural gassyngassynthetic methanebiogasbiomethane |
| spellingShingle | Aurimas Lisauskas Nerijus Striūgas Adolfas Jančauskas Lower-Carbon Substitutes for Natural Gas for Use in Energy-Intensive Industries: Current Status and Techno-Economic Assessment in Lithuania Energies substitute gas natural gas syngas synthetic methane biogas biomethane |
| title | Lower-Carbon Substitutes for Natural Gas for Use in Energy-Intensive Industries: Current Status and Techno-Economic Assessment in Lithuania |
| title_full | Lower-Carbon Substitutes for Natural Gas for Use in Energy-Intensive Industries: Current Status and Techno-Economic Assessment in Lithuania |
| title_fullStr | Lower-Carbon Substitutes for Natural Gas for Use in Energy-Intensive Industries: Current Status and Techno-Economic Assessment in Lithuania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lower-Carbon Substitutes for Natural Gas for Use in Energy-Intensive Industries: Current Status and Techno-Economic Assessment in Lithuania |
| title_short | Lower-Carbon Substitutes for Natural Gas for Use in Energy-Intensive Industries: Current Status and Techno-Economic Assessment in Lithuania |
| title_sort | lower carbon substitutes for natural gas for use in energy intensive industries current status and techno economic assessment in lithuania |
| topic | substitute gas natural gas syngas synthetic methane biogas biomethane |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2670 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT aurimaslisauskas lowercarbonsubstitutesfornaturalgasforuseinenergyintensiveindustriescurrentstatusandtechnoeconomicassessmentinlithuania AT nerijusstriugas lowercarbonsubstitutesfornaturalgasforuseinenergyintensiveindustriescurrentstatusandtechnoeconomicassessmentinlithuania AT adolfasjancauskas lowercarbonsubstitutesfornaturalgasforuseinenergyintensiveindustriescurrentstatusandtechnoeconomicassessmentinlithuania |