LNG is natural gas in liquid form. LNG is produced by purifying natural gas and super-cooling it to -260°F to turn it into a liquid. During the process known as liquefaction, natural gas is cooled below its boiling point, removing most of the extraneous compounds found in the fuel. The remaining natural gas is primarily methane with small amounts of other hydrocarbons. Because of LNG’s relatively high production cost, as well as the need to store it in expensive cryogenic tanks, the fuel’s use in commercial applications is limited. LNG must be kept at cold temperatures and is stored in double-walled, vacuum-insulated pressure vessels. LNG is suitable for trucks that require longer ranges because liquid is denser than gas and, therefore, more energy can be stored by volume. LNG is typically used in medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
In January, The Biden administration announced it is pausing a decision on whether to approve what would be the largest natural gas export terminal in the United States, a delay that could stretch past the November election and spell trouble for that project and 16 other proposed terminals.
The White House has directed the DOE to expand its evaluation of the project to consider its impact on climate change, as well as the economy and national security. The Energy Department has never rejected a proposed natural gas project because of its expected environmental impact. An article in the New York Times notes that the United States leads the world in both liquefied natural gas exports and oil and gas production. The country has seven export terminals with five more under construction. The project in question is Calcasieu Pass 2, proposed along a shipping channel that connects the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Charles, Louisiana.