With the fossil fuel reserves drying up quickly and carbon emissions from fossil fuel usage causing widespread damage to the environment thereby triggering cataclysmic climate changes, the search for cleaner and greener fuels has intensified.
Several ‘alternative fuels’ have not only reduced our dependence on fossil fuels but also contributed to a cleaner environment. But none has proved more effective and none holds better promise for future than the Gas to Liquid fuels or the GTLs.
What is GTL conversion?
The GTL Conversion based on Fischer-Tropsch process refers to a cluster of technologies used to create liquid synthetic fuels from a feedstock of natural gas or indirectly through conversion of natural gas into syngas. There are two processes — a high temperature iron catalyst process and a low-temperature cobalt catalyst process. The low temperature process results in an extremely synthetic fuel completely free of sulphur and aromatics and a very high cetane value. The products of this process are pure paraffinic hydrocarbons with high combustion properties and smooth burn.
How is it different from CNG or LNG or alternative fuels?
The GTL transport fuels are compatible with existing diesel engines and distribution infrastructure, and therefore more cost-effective to introduce. Besides they can be either used on their own or combined with conventional diesel in either case resulting in very low local emissions. Several studies have proved that they fare far better than other alternative fuels including bio-diesel, bio-ethanol, BTL Fuel, CNG, hydrogen, and LPG on every facet of fuel quality. The combination of homogeneity and their high cetane level means improved efficiency, greater drivability, low levels of noise and emissions.
Benefits
- Improves diversity of transport fuels
- Minimizes dependence on petroleum products
- Can be combined with conventional diesel engines and infrastructure
- Lowers local pollutants and toxic emissions
However, the most important factor in favor of GTLs is that they can serve as a bridge to future fuel trends and technologies such as enabling development of new ultra-efficient exhaust filter devices and development of Coal to Liquids (CTL) and Biomass to Liquids (BTL) and several other emergent technologies with identical chemical structure.
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