LPG Week took place last week at La Nuvola, one of the most iconic buildings in the entire city of Rome, and gathered professionals from Italy and all over the world to address the most recent developments in LPG, including its use as a transport fuel, from policy trends, to market success stories and innovation.

The event organised by the World LPG Association and Liquid Gas Europe, with the support of Assogasliquidi-Federchimica, concluded with the Autogas Day, a debate and showcase for the automotive sector.

Italian businesses, politics and institutions actively participated and contributed to the discussions of LPG Week. Among these, the Innovhub Milano studio, headed by its Deputy Manager of Sustainable Mobility Simone Casadei, identified an innovative mixture composed of LPG, bioLPG and renewable dimethyl ether compatible (DME) and tested it on three bi-fuel LPG/petrol Euro 6 cars.

“All regulated pollutant emission limits were respected, both in the laboratory and on the road, with a reduction in particulate matter and CO2. In the laboratory, the limits of Euro 7 are respected even in the most restrictive hypothesis,” they noted. The research was presented during the debate “LPG: The alternative fuel ready to decarbonise our future.”

Moreover, Mario Grosso, Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering at the Polytechnic of Milan, presented a life cycle analysis study which compared conventional petrol vehicles with vehicles powered by new mixtures composed of bioLPG and renewable DME and confirmed the environmental advantages compared to totally fossil fuel. In addition, according to some indicators, the mixture offers equivalent or even improved results compared to electric cars and can therefore contribute to the decarbonisation of the transport sector in the medium term.

The research concluded by stating that, according to the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) criteria, there are no energy sources or carriers, even if fully renewable, capable of guaranteeing a 100% reduction in the impact on climate change. Therefore, “the use of the innovative mixture of LPG, bioLPG and renewable DME can be a valid solution to mitigate impacts, with benefits comparable to those linked to the use of the electric carrier.”

Source: ADNKronos

Photo: Liquid Gas Europe

22 November 2023