Air Quality Impacts of Liquefied Natural Gas In the South Coast Air Basin Of California

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1032528· OSTI ID:1032528

Carerras-Sospedra, Marc ^[1]; Brouwer, Jack ^[1]; Dabdub, Donald ^[1]; Lunden, Melissa ^[1]; Singer, Brett ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

The effects of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on pollutant emission inventories and air quality in the South Coast Air Basin of California were evaluated using recent LNG emission measurements by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), and with a state-of-the-art air quality model. Pollutant emissions can be affected by LNG owing to differences in composition and physical properties, including the Wobbe index, a measure of energy delivery rate. This analysis uses LNG distribution scenarios developed by modeling Southern California gas flows, including supplies from the LNG receiving terminal in Baja California, Mexico. Based on these scenarios, the projected penetratino of LNG in the South Coast Air Basin is expected to be limited. In addition, the increased Wobbe index of delivered gas (resulting from mixtures of LNG and conventional gas supplies) is expected to cause increases smaller than 0.05 percent in overall (area-wide) emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). BAsed on the photochemical state of the South Coast Air Basin, any increase in NOx is expected to cause an increase in the highest local ozone concentrations, and this is reflected in model results. However, the magnitude of the increase is well below the generally accepted accuracy of the model and would not be discernible with the existing monitoring network. Modeling of hypothetical scenarios indicates that discernible changes to ambient ozone and particulate matter concentrations would occur only at LNG distribution rates that are not achievable with current or planned infrastructure and with Wobbe index vlaues that exceed current gas quality tariffs. Results of these hypothetical scenarios are presented for consideration of any proposed substantial expansion of LNG supply infrastructure in Southern California.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: Environmental Energy Technologies Division
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 1032528
• Report Number(s): LBNL--4950E
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACCURACY
AIR QUALITY
Air Quality Modeling
DISTRIBUTION
Emissions Inventory
GAS FLOW
INVENTORIES
LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS
MIXTURES
MONITORING
NITROGEN OXIDES
Nitrogen Oxides
OZONE
Ozone
PARTICULATES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLLUTANTS
Particulate Matter
Pollutant Emissions
TARIFFS