Green expectations: Can bio-LNG go mainstream?

Bio-LNG is a fledgling energy solution with a niche customer base. However, as a renewable liquefied fuel, and against the backdrop of decarbonisation, it shows a lot of promise, particularly in shipping and heavy-duty trucking, its supporters say. It has found support among many major firms, including Shell, British LPG supplier Flogas, Finnish engine manufacturer Wartsila, Swedish furniture giant IKEA and truck manufacturers Volvo, Iveco and Scania. One advantage bio-LNG has is that it can be used without modifications in any engine that runs on LNG.

On the flipside, cheap and plentiful supplies of natural gas and conventional LNG make it very difficult for bio-LNG to compete on an economic basis, and its current growth relies on subsidies. The fuel has also come under fire from environmentalists who warn that a reliance on biofuels could lead to misuses of land. Nevertheless, bio-LNG may have a significant role to play in a future multi-option energy mix, as the world seeks to take energy transition seriously, while meeting growing energy demand.