A life cycle impact of the natural gas used in the energy sector in Romania

The world's natural gas consumption continues to grow, increasing its market share of total primary energy consumption. Among the major fuels, natural gas is expected to provide the greatest increase in energy consumption in the world energy sector, due to its relatively low environmental impact and high thermodynamic quality. Natural gas plays a significant role in the energy sector because of its environmental qualities and energy. We analyzed the natural gas life cycle by using the life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare, from an environmental point of view, four sites of heat production by natural gas combustion. We determined the best site from an environmental point of view for a consumer and which stage (extraction, treatment, transportation, storage, combustion) of the natural gas life cycle pollutes the most. This study confirmed the utility of the LCA in the evaluation of the environmental impact in the energy sector.