Abstract
Tsinghua life-cycle analysis model (TLCAM) has been used to examine the primary fossil energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for natural gas- (NG-) based alternative vehicle fuels in China. The results show that (1) compress NG- and liquid NG-powered vehicles have similar well-to-wheels (WTW) fossil energy uses to conventional gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles, but differences emerge with the distance of NG transportation. Additionally, thanks to NG having a lower carbon content than petroleum, CNG- and LNG-powered vehicles emit 10–20% and 5–10% less GHGs than gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles, respectively; (2) gas-to-liquid- (GTL-) powered vehicles involve approximately 50% more WTW fossil energy uses than conventional gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles, primarily because of the low efficiency of GTL production. Nevertheless, since NG has a lower carbon content than petroleum, GTL-powered vehicles emit approximately 30% more GHGs than conventional-fuel vehicles; (3) The carbon emission intensity of the LNG energy chain is highly sensitive to the efficiency of NG liquefaction and the form of energy used in that process.
Highlights
Alternative Vehicle Fuels in ChinaThe study of CAERC (2012) [1] found that the ownership of natural gas vehicles in China exceeded 500,000 as of 2010; annually 4.6 million tons of vehicular gasoline and diesel are being replaced by natural gas in 2010
compressed natural gas (CNG)- and LNGpowered vehicles have similar WTW fossil energy uses to conventional gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles, but differences emerge with the distance of natural gas (NG) transportation
Our calculations suggest that the carbon emission intensity of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) energy chain is highly sensitive to the efficiency of NG liquefaction and the form of energy used in that process
Summary
The study of CAERC (2012) [1] found that the ownership of natural gas vehicles in China exceeded 500,000 as of 2010; annually 4.6 million tons of vehicular gasoline and diesel are being replaced by natural gas in 2010. The annual saving of gasoline and diesel by electric vehicles is less than 40,000 tons These alternative fuels replace only a fraction (3.3%) of China’s vehicular gasoline and diesel consumption. Current high gasoline prices reinforce the economic advantages of CNG vehicles As a result, these vehicles have been well marketed in regions with abundant natural gas sources. In 2010, the above-mentioned alternative fuels served as a replacement for approximately 3.3% (i.e., 7.1 million tons) of the total annual consumption of regular vehicle fuels. The results generally reflect the actual operation conditions in China [2, 3, 22]
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