Now so called "Natural Gas" is "renewable."

[NNadir]

I came across this paper today: Nickel–Silicon Catalysts for the Oxidative Steam Reforming of Renewable Natural Gas to Produce Hydrogen for Small-Scale Ammonia Synthesis Oscar G. Marin-Flores, M. Grant Norton, and Su Ha Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2025 64 (12), 6302-6311.

As far as I got into looking into the paper before wanting to throw up, it doesn't seem to explain why "natural gas" is renewable. I suppose this refers to landfill gas; I don't know. It sort of reminds me of "renewable electricity" as if there was some Maxwell's demon kind of creature that sorts electrons.

The "renewable natural gas" is utilized in the SMR (Steam Methane Reforming) reaction, which how the majority of the world's hydrogen is made - as I often note with exergy destruction - with the main use for hydrogen not being hydrogen toys like hydrogen boats, trucks, helicopters and all of the other bullshit that is advertised here and elsewhere with slick videos.

The largest single use of hydrogen is to make ammonia with the Haber-Bosch process, a high temperature energy intensive process.

For as far I got into the paper, it does report how much of the world energy supply is dedicated to making ammonia via hydrogenation of nitrogen.

To wit:

Ammonia (NH₃) is considered an energy carrier due to its high volumetric and gravimetric energy densities. (1,2) In 2023, 191 MMT of NH₃ was produced globally using natural gas and coal feedstocks, (3) making it the world’s second most commonly produced chemical after sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄). (4) However, ammonia synthesis is an energy-intensive process that consumes around 1.8% of global energy output yearly and produces approximately 500 MMT of CO₂, which is approximately 1.8% of global CO₂emissions. (5,6) Large-scale ammonia production is carried out using natural gas as feedstock and at capacities greater than 1,000 tons per day. (7)

1.8% of the world energy supply is about 11 Exajoules.

Have a nice evening.

[cachukis]

1. Money. The game of life.