IGU report promotes natural gas’ role in reducing air pollutants
Air pollution is a top concern for governments worldwide. Now, a report from the International Gas Union presents one key way to reduce pollutants: increased use of natural gas in power generation, heating and transport.
In its report “Case Studies in Improving Urban Air Quality,” IGU highlights how reducing air pollutants can result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change.
This report expands on a previous one by IGU on urban air quality and presents case studies from four European cities: Berlin, Germany; Dublin, Ireland; Krakow, Poland; and Rotterdam, Netherlands. It demonstrates how Berlin and Dublin have taken decisive steps focused on transportation and heating to reduce air pollution, while Krakow and Rotterdam are using more natural gas to improve air quality. The study examines policies, such as fuel-switching initiatives, that are leading to improved air quality without sacrificing economic development.
“Air pollution is a significant threat to the environment and human health. The action taken in Berlin, Dublin, Krakow and Rotterdam demonstrates the central role of gas in improving air quality in urban areas,” said David Carroll, IGU president. “As these case studies demonstrate, switching from coal to gas-fired power is often the fastest and most cost-effective approach to improve air quality and reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.”
The use of natural gas as a fuel for both road and marine transport pioneered in Berlin and Rotterdam shows that the positive impact of natural gas goes well beyond its more well-known use as a fuel in power and heat generation, according to the IGU report.
In Berlin, road transport remains the largest source of emissions of many air pollutants, particularly nitrogen oxides. Although the share of compressed natural gas vehicles remains very low, at less than 1 percent of the active vehicle fleet, the impact on local air quality can be quite significant, especially in areas with a high concentration of taxi traffic, such as airports and train stations, the report states.
In Dublin, which instituted a ban on the burning of bituminous coal in homes in 2012, about 67 percent of households now use natural gas, and particulate matter concentrations have been reduced by some 50 percent. Krakow similarly introduced a citywide coal ban in January 2016, with a deadline of 2019 to completely phase out coal stoves from home heating, according to the report.