There’s one central source at the heart of all things Calor

And that’s LPG. But what is it?

LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is a hydrocarbon gas that exists in a liquefied form. LPG is a colourless, low carbon and highly efficient fuel. Supplied in two main forms, propane (C₃H₈) and butane (C₄H₁₀), LPG has a range of uses – from providing fuel for leisure parks, crop-drying, BBQs, heating homes and much more.

LPG boils at a low temperature and to avoid it evaporating due to its low boiling point, it is typically

stored in pressurised steel vessels such as gas bottles or bulk LPG tanks

Conversion to gasoline

LPG can be converted into alkylate which is a premium gasoline blending stock because it has exceptional anti-knock properties and gives clean burning

Global production

Global LPG production reached over 292 million metric tons per year (Mt/a) in 2015, while global LPG consumption to over 284 Mt/a.^[31] 62% of LPG is extracted from natural gas while the rest is produced by petroleum refineries from crude oil.^[32] 44% of global consumption is in the domestic sector. The USA is the leading producer and exporter of LPG

Comparison with natural gas

LPG is composed mainly of propane and butane, while natural gas is composed of the lighter methane and ethane. LPG, vaporised and at atmospheric pressure, has a higher calorific value (46 MJ/m3 equivalent to 12.8 kWh/m3) than natural gas (methane) (38 MJ/m3 equivalent to 10.6 kWh/m3), which means that LPG cannot simply be substituted for natural gas. In order to allow the use of the same burner controls and to provide for similar combustion characteristics, LPG can be mixed with air to produce a synthetic natural gas (SNG) that can be easily substituted. LPG/air mixing ratios average 60/40, though this is widely variable based on the gases making up the LPG. The method for determining the mixing ratios is by calculating the Wobbe index of the mix. Gases having the same Wobbe index are held to be interchangeable.

LPG-based SNG is used in emergency backup systems for many public, industrial and military installations, and many utilities use LPG peak shaving plants in times of high demand to make up shortages in natural gas supplied to their distributions systems. LPG-SNG installations are also used during initial gas system introductions when the distribution infrastructure is in place before gas supplies can be connected. Developing markets in India and China (among others) use LPG-SNG systems to build up customer bases prior to expanding existing natural gas systems.

LPG-based SNG or natural gas with localized storage and piping distribution network to the households for catering to each cluster of 5000 domestic consumers can be planned under the initial phase of the city gas network system. This would eliminate the last mile LPG cylinders road transport which is a cause of traffic and safety hurdles in Indian cities. These localized natural gas networks are successfully operating in Japan with feasibility to get connected to wider networks in both villages and cities

The Global LPG Industry

LPG is available in even the remotest of areas, improving the lives of millions of citizens worldwide and providing an impetus to regional development. As relatively few rural or remote areas can benefit from piped natural gas, LPG is an ideal power source for these areas, either as a primary source or in combination with renewable energy. LPG is also increasingly used for large- or small-scale power generation