For any off-grid business that doesn’t have access to the mains gas grid, the choice of fuel supply is a critical decision in terms of efficiency and profitability as energy costs are a significant item on your bottom line, especially for large users.
Choosing the right energy source can also enhance your business’s sustainability efforts and impact the carbon footprint of your organization. Reducing the carbon footprint in industrial processes, heating, and logistics is essential for both regulatory compliance and achieving sustainability goals. The Environment Act 2021 introduced legally binding targets related to air quality, and regulations encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies, so this is becoming ever important for businesses throughout the UK.
Navigating the choice of energy sources can prove challenging, and it's important to make informed decisions. With oil, electricity, solid fuel, and renewable fuel choices available for off-grid businesses, bulk liquid petroleum gas (LPG) is becoming one of the most popular choices due to its versatility, high energy efficiency, clean-burning characteristics, and ease of storage in a LPG bulk tank. In this blog, we’re going to look at the role that commercial propane gas can play in helping industrial businesses reduce their carbon footprints and meet environmental targets.
LPG Uses In Industry
First, let’s take a look at the many uses for LPG in industry.
Providing a high-temperature, controllable, and efficient heat source for various industrial processes including firing, melting, welding and profile cutting, LPG can play a significant role in a variety of industrial applications.
It can power machinery including forklift trucks and material handling equipment, heat industrial ovens, furnaces, and kilns, can be used in food production, for drying applications, powder coating, in paint spray booths, and to power incinerators to name just some of its many various applications. LPG really is the smart business choice for industry. So let’s look at some of the environmental benefits of this flexible energy solution.
Lower carbon emissions
LPG is clean-burning and versatile. It emits significantly less carbon dioxide (CO2) per unit of energy when compared to coal, and by as much as 18% less per kWh* when compared to oil solutions. This is because it burns more cleanly and efficiently than many traditional fossil fuels, making it a viable option for any off-grid business that's aiming to improve its overall environmental performance and meet emissions reduction targets.
For manufacturing operations such as glass production or food processing that often require heat-intensive applications, LPG offers a highly efficient solution without any compromise on thermal output.
*According to DESNZ Emissions Conversion Factors 2023
Reduced air pollutants
In addition to lower CO2 emissions, as LPG combusts almost completely when properly burned, it produces less sulphur oxide (SOx), less nitrogen oxide (NOx), and less particulate matter than alternative more traditional fossil fuels such as oil or solid fuels – all big contributors to air pollution. This also leads to improved efficiency and reduces maintenance costs from soot or residue build-up.
This translates to cleaner air both indoors and out, so improved working conditions and minimal environmental output. By switching to LPG, your business can enhance air quality whilst reducing your carbon footprint.
And for businesses with sensitive processes such as powder coating, the cleaner combustion that comes with LPG can ensure that finishes remain free of contamination, and defects like bubbling or discoloration that can occur with oil and other high-carbon energy sources.
High energy efficiency
LPG ignites easily and burns at a high temperature so has a high calorific value which supports optimised performance in boilers, fast heat-up times, and great temperature control. It is highly efficient in terms of its energy output per unit volume burned. This means it generates more energy per unit compared to many other fuels which can reduce downtime, for instance, when used to power LPG forklift trucks which can require long charging periods when running on electricity.
LPG increases process efficiency, reduces overall fuel consumption, and lowers indirect emissions. All of which enhances operations and translates into reduced energy costs.
Choosing LPG to fuel your business is the cleaner choice. It provides a strategic opportunity to reduce carbon emissions without impacting the profitability and productivity of your business, and helping you meet regulations and reduce the carbon footprint of your business.
Whilst traditional LPG is not carbon-neutral and is still a fossil fuel, it can offer a strong lower-carbon transitional solution to many conventional fossil fuels until drop-in renewable gases which offer up to 90% carbon emissions reduction become more readily available.
Renewable gases are on the way
Whilst already on the horizon, the LPG industry aims to transition fully to renewable liquid gases such as BioLPG and rDME by 2040.
Renewable gases are a growing segment of the clean energy sector. Produced from sustainable, non-fossil sources such as waste vegetable oils and animal fats, they are compatible with existing LPG systems so can be seamlessly ‘dropped in’ without requiring modification.
These new greener gases can lower your business’s carbon emissions by up to 90% and work in the same way as traditional LPG with no sacrifice on performance as BioLPG is chemically identical to LPG and rDME is chemically similar to butane and propane.
Liquid Gas UK, the Trade Association for the renewable liquid gas industry in the UK, is working alongside the UK government to influence and inform policy, particularly regarding sustainable energy and decarbonisation. George Webb, Chief Executive of Liquid Gas UK, attended a meeting at Westminster at the end of March, a key opportunity to talk directly to ministers about renewable liquid gases and demonstrate why they are essential for a fair, affordable, and flexible transition to net zero.
Get the best out of your LPG supplier
Selecting a bulk LPG supplier is an important decision that impacts cost-efficiency, service reliability safety, and environmental performance.
It’s essential you consider their track record for reliability of supply and their reputation for customer service. A long-standing established supplier will have the knowledge and experience to offer greater reliability, and a reliable supply is critical for keeping the cogs of any business turning.
Then there’s customer service and support – nothing can be more frustrating than trying to speak to a real person but being left hanging on the phone for ages or put on hold - or worse still, being connected to a ‘Virtual Assistant’.
Established in 1932, at Northern Energy Gas we have been an industrial gas supplier for many years, and our online reviews can provide you with insight into our strong commitment to providing first-class customer service that other suppliers can’t match, making it easy for your to fuel your business.
LPG is the smart business choice and choosing Northern Energy Gas as your LPG partner will lead to a hassle-free energy partnership. Let us power your business forward while balancing your environmental impact with operational demands.
Contact us on 01423 772 789 or click here to find out more.