Due to its good characteristics, natural gas has a wide range of use.
Industry
Natural gas is used in steam boilers of all industrial sectors, metallurgic stoves, construction material industry (cement, lime, brick production), in wood-processing industry for drying, in metal processing industry for varnish workshops, in paper mills, etc.
Commercial use
Natural gas successfully replaces coal and fuel oil in boiler rooms of residential areas, hospitals, daycares and schools, commercial and office complexes, craft zones, etc. Natural gas can successfully replace the more costly electricity for air conditioning devices for cooling of spaces.
General consumption
Natural gas is used for cooking, hot water and heating. Because of its simple and efficient regulation, it is particularly useful particularly in households. In comparison with fuel oils, less environmentally harmful matter is formed during combustion.
Electrical power generation
Cogeneration – This is a procedure of simultaneous production of heat and electricity. In combined gas-steam devices such manner of use of natural gas represents the most efficient exploitation of energy potential of fuel and consequently results financial savings. Contemporary technology enables cogeneration both for smaller energy users as for largest industrial complexes.
Power plants – due to lower investment costs per installed power and due to highest utilisation rate of all electrical power plants operating on fossil fuels (over 50%) the price of electricity from gas power plants are favourable. It is estimated that during this decade gas power plants will account for one third of all power plants built in Europe and 40% of those built in USA.
Raw material
Natural gas represents the main raw material for production of much matter, for example fertilizers and methanol. In Slovenia, hydrogen peroxide is also manufactured from natural gas.
Motor vehicles
Very slowly but progressively more reliably natural gas is making its way to power motor vehicles. There are many advantages of use of natural gas over liquid fuels. A serious obstacle (but one which has been overcome already in many countries) is the lack of public filling centres.