LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly composed of propane and butane.
LPG is an extremely versatile energy source: it can be used to heat and cool rooms, cook food, supply industrial equipment, etc.
Its high calorific value allows large amounts of energy to be available for limited quantities of product.
In certain applications, LPG can offer lower greenhouse-gas emissions than comparable conventional fuels, depending on the fuel supply chain, vehicle or equipment efficiency, and conditions of use.
Examples :
a. Heating : In residential heating a comparative European study found that new LPG heating systems had a 20% lower carbon footprint than heating-oil systems. A comparative study of European heating systems found that new LPG heating systems had a 20% lower carbon footprint than heating-oil systems.
(Scientific Study:
Carbon footprints of heating oil and LPG heating systems
Journal: Environmental Impact Assessment Review (2012)
b. In automotive use.
Scientific studies have demonstrated that LPG passenger cars produced lower emissions of CO2 than comparable gasoline and diesel vehicles.
According to the scientific study “Determination of Euro 6 LPG passenger car emission factors through laboratory and on-road tests: Effect on nation-wide emissions assessment for Italy
Journal: Atmospheric Environment: X (2022),
in the tested Euro 6 bi-fuel passenger cars, LPG reduced CO₂ emissions by approximately 7.8%–9.1% compared with gasoline, depending on the driving cycle.
Also, the Joint Research Centre (JRC)–EUCAR–CONCAWE Well-to-Wheels study evaluates energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions across the fuel life cycle, from fuel production and supply (Well-to-Tank) through vehicle operation (Tank-to-Wheels). Under the assumptions of the relevant Well-to-Wheel assessment, LPG-fueled passenger cars were estimated to produce lower CO₂ emissions than comparable gasoline and diesel vehicles.
(Source : Edwards, R., Larivé, J.-F., and Beziat, J.-C. (2011). Well-to-Wheels Analysis of Future Automotive Fuels and Power Trains in the European Context — Report, Version 3c. JRC Scientific and Technical Reports, EUR 24952 EN. Joint Research Centre, European Commission.
LPG is sold under the names of commercial propane (mixture C, according to UN shipping regulations), commercial mixture (mixtures A1, B1, B2, B) and commercial butane (mixtures A, A01, A02, A0).
Commercial propane may be accompanied by propylene, butylene, butane and ethylene with a propane content in excess of 90%.
The commercial mixture is a total mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from the combination of approximately 70% n-butane and isobutane and an average of 30 % propane.
Yes. Islands, mountain regions and areas non reached by the methane network benefit from a reduced excise duty for LPG for heating purposes. In order to be entitled to this, the tank must be installed in an area identified by the municipal administration by special resolution.
Yes. A tax concession is granted for the industrial use of LPG. In order to qualify, the installation must meet certain technical requirements or the activity must be classified as “outside the scope of excise duties”.
Yes. LPG has a lower price per calorific value than most fossil fuels.
The price of LPG for transport use is not comparable to that for residential use because it is subject to a different excise duty rate and has a simplified distribution and logistics system (volumes transported, storage size, plants location).
LPG is a fossil fuel that can offer certain air-quality benefits compared with some other fuels, depending on the fuel, appliance and conditions of use. Its combustion can produce lower emissions of certain air pollutants, such as Sulphur dioxide and particulate matter, than the combustion of some solid and liquid fuels, such as biomass, diesel and fuel oil.
(scientific evidence)
Article| May 09, 2017
A Laboratory Comparison of Emission Factors, Number Size Distributions, and Morphology of Ultrafine Particles from 11 Different Household Cookstove-Fuel Systems
Environ. Sci. Technol. (2017) 51 (11): 6522–6532.
Performance and gaseous and particle emissions from a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fumigated compression ignition engine (2014)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016236114004360
In-use emissions from biomass and LPG stoves measured during a large, multi-year cookstove intervention study in rural India, 2021