When you say LNG, you would usually imagine Qatar, the US, and huge LNG import terminals. Did you know that LNG can also be 100% renewable? Yes, you read right.
LNG can be renewable and unlike ethanol which is hard to digest for the engine and hence not very popular, bio-LNG and fossil LNG are chemically indistinguishable. It has the exact same molecular structure and it behaves exactly like fossil LNG. Except of course that its carbon neutral and also that it produces fewer emissions for every kilometer driven than even Electric Vehicles and hydrogen.
Electric Vehicles drag a backpack o carbon emissions that have been caused at the production of the battery which must first be amortized. Depending on the battery used and also on workload this takes a few to many years. A bio-LNG vehicle is clean and carbon neutral starting with the very first kilometer.
In Austria, we already have an LNG fuelling station that offers 100% bio-LNG. This means that you can not only drive knowing that you drive the cleanest vehicle on the road. It also means that 100% of the value chain is realized in Austria.
The methane molecules are manufactured in Austria, they are conditioned and liquefied here, and they are filled into a vehicle here in Austria where the fuel is used up. This means local jobs, local investment, and less import of fossil fuels from other potentially unfriendly countries.
But it needs a legal and regulatory framework for this to work and there is no surprise that Austria does not shine here. This summer, LNG Austria starts campaigns in order to create awareness for this green, Austrian fuel and in order to improve on the existing framework.