Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is an alternative fuel that is in a gaseous state under normal temperature and pressure conditions. It is usually stored in a liquid state by subjecting it to moderate pressure or by lowering its temperature.
LPG, also known as autogas, comes from two sources. 60% of its production comes from the extraction of oil and natural gas from the earth. 40% comes from the refining of crude oil from oil wells. Before autogas was put to commercial use, it was destroyed because it was considered a useless product, wasting its powerful potential as an energy source.
Origin of LPG
The origin of LPG is relatively recent. In the early years of the 20th century, Walter Snelling was hired by the Ford Motor Company to detect the reason why gasoline evaporated so easily in the Ford Model T. In 1911, the American chemist demonstrated that volatilization was caused by the propane and butane present in gasoline. Therefore, he developed a way to separate gases from gasoline. Through this process, these gases could be liquefied at reasonable pressures and evaporated again when the pressure was reduced. This discovery gave rise to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). A fuel with the consistency of a liquid and the uses of a gas.
In 1932, the first NAFPA (National Fire Protection Association) standard for LPG was approved. In the middle of this decade, it was introduced to France thanks to a large oil company. In 1938, a gas distribution company built a bottling plant in Italy, however, the war suspended these initiatives.
After World War II, the sector grew as did the refineries. In the early 1950s, several companies manufactured bottles to store LPG. This is how it began to be marketed in Europe for domestic use. During this time, the first large-scale regional distributions of LPG took place, and from then on, its use began to take off.
Europe was the most advanced continent in terms of the use of autogas (LPG) in the automotive industry. In 1940, it began to be used as an ecological fuel, with Italy being the main consumer, followed by other countries such as Germany and the Netherlands. Sales of LPG in Europe rose from 300,000 tonnes in 1950 to 3 million tonnes in 1960.
The oil crisis in 1973 showed that the export of this alternative fuel could generate large economic benefits, so the oil industry began to build liquid recovery plants.
Production capacity expanded in the decade from 1975 to 1985 in the Middle East. In addition, new producers emerged such as Australia, Venezuela, Algeria, Indonesia and the North Sea. The LPG market became global during this period and its use became widespread throughout the world.
LPG in Spanish cars
In Spain, the Ministry of Finance granted an exclusive LPG quota for taxi drivers of the National Association of Taxi Entrepreneurs through a Decree of 1960 that lasted until 2003.
The Commercial and Management Service of the National Association of Taxi Entrepreneurs imported bottled autogas (LPG) from Italy for use in Spanish taxis in the 1960s. From 1973, taxi drivers had a tank installed in their cars that they could refuel in bulk. The incorporation of autogas meant a 40% saving in fuel for taxi drivers, as well as benefits in engine maintenance due to the lack of formation of harmful particles. Here you can see the advantages of LPG.
In 2003, conversion to LPG was authorized for all cars and, since then, the regulations regarding the use of LPG have been changing until they were unified with the European ones. Since then, the consumption of autogas (LPG) in Spain has been on the rise in the transport sector for goods and people, both for its undoubted ecological benefits and for the savings it represents for users.
Today, many car manufacturers are opting for LPG technology in their vehicles. For the transport sector for goods and people, it is an opportunity to adapt to new environmental demands. At BeGas we have developed the first 100% autogas engine for trucks and urban buses. Our goal is to provide the sector with an efficient and sustainable solution, taking advantage of all the advantages that this alternative fuel offers us.
