Fuel Options for Off-Grid Industrial Facilities
Four common options exist for an industrial facility with no pipeline connection: diesel, propane, trucked LNG and trucked CNG. Consumption, distance from supply and how long the site will need the fuel settle almost every case.
Four off-grid fuel choices
- Diesel: simplest to start and usually the most expensive per unit of energy, so it suits low or intermittent load.
- Propane: cheaper per unit and simple to store, suiting moderate load.
- LNG: holds far more energy per truckload, so it wins at high continuous load and is punished least by distance.
- CNG: suits lower volumes and shorter distances.
What determines the fit
The load profile, distance from supply, and expected duration matter more than a generic fuel ranking. A short-term or intermittent site may value simple storage and fast startup. A high continuous load benefits from the energy density of LNG, while a lower-volume site closer to supply may fit CNG or propane.