Fossil Energy Sources

Natural Gas

Natural gas is a fossil fuel. The gas is extracted through drilling or fracking. During extraction, transport, and combustion, large amounts of greenhouse gases are emitted, sometimes uncontrollably. The gas mixture consists largely of methane, which is a highly effective greenhouse gas. Therefore, even minor leaks in the gas infrastructure are highly damaging to the climate.

Natural gas is used for building heating, electricity generation, in industry (as a heat supplier or reaction partner e.g. in the Haber-Bosch process for the production of nitrogen fertilizers, ore reduction), as fuel for ships and motor vehicles, and for the production of "grey hydrogen". In the conversion of fossil hydrocarbons, usually natural gas, into hydrogen, approximately 20% of the energy expended is lost (Federal Environment Agency, 2023).

LNG

LNG stands for Liquefied Natural Gas, which is natural gas in a liquid state. For this, natural gas is cooled to about -162 °C until it condenses. This leads to a reduction in volume by 600 times. This allows it to be transported in special tanks on ships. At an LNG terminal, the LNG is converted back into a gaseous state.

The expansion of the LNG infrastructure is problematic for successful climate protection, as it favors a gas lock-in. Investments in fossil fuels make it more difficult to transition to renewable energies.

Coal

Crude Oil

Crude oil is primarily used for the production of fuel (gasoline, diesel). In doing so, we import about 98% of the required crude oil from other countries. Before the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Russia was the main supplier, but now the majority of crude oil comes from Norway, Great Britain, Kazakhstan, the USA, and the United Arab Emirates. Only 2% of the required crude oil is produced domestically, mainly in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.

When we drive a car that runs on gasoline, or heat our house with an oil heater, harmful CO₂ is produced. Therefore, in order to achieve climate neutrality, it is necessary to refrain from using crude oil.