Glossary

Biogas:
Gas resulting from the fermentation of biomass. It can be used in CHP plants for on-site power generation or can be upgraded to natural gas quality. The resulting biomethane can then be fed into the natural gas grid.

Biomethane, also known as renewable natural gas (RNG):
Renewable biogas with a methane content high enough that it is suitable to be fed into the natural gas grid.

Blue hydrogen:
Hydrogen produced from methane without releasing CO₂ into the atmosphere. The CO₂ emitted during the reforming of conventional natural gas can be captured and stored in geological structures (known as CO₂ storage) or in turn used to produce synthetic methane.

Steam reforming: 
Steam reforming is a cost-effective and energy-efficient method of producing hydrogen from carbon-based energy sources such as natural gas, light gasoline, methanol, biogas, or biomass through the addition of steam.

Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (abbreviated EEG): 
Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act, which governs the preferential feeding of power from renewable sources into the country’s electrical grid. 

EUGAL:
The European Gas Link (EUGAL) is a pipeline project carried out by GASCADE Gastransport GmbH. VNG’s subsidiary ONTRAS is one of the company’s minority shareholders.

Thermal firing capacity: 
The thermal firing capacity is the maximum fuel energy that can be delivered simultaneously to a combustion unit, based on the lower heating value. The type of fuel used is irrelevant.

Grey hydrogen: 
Hydrogen obtained from natural gas via steam reforming, the production of which emits CO₂ into the atmosphere. 

Green hydrogen: 
Carbon-neutral gas produced via power-to-gas technology or the electrolysis process. This gas is produced by splitting hydrogen and oxygen using electricity. The hydrogen produced in this manner is called ‘green’, provided that a certain percentage of the electricity used is generated from renewable energy sources.

LNG, Liquefied Natural Gas: 
Natural gas cooled down to liquid form so that it can be used as fuel, e.g. for shipping and heavy goods vehicles.

LTI: 
Accident at work with downtime.

Portfolio management: 
Systematic and compnay oriented planning, management and control of a strategic business area. 

Power-to-Gas: 
An innovative technology that uses electricity to produce gas by means of water electrolysis and, if necessary, downstream methanisation.

Pyrolysis: 
This term refers to a thermochemical conversion process in which methane is split into (turquoise) hydrogen and solid carbon at high temperatures.

Integrated energy: 
The term used to describe the goal of interconnecting the energy and industrial sectors of electricity, heating and transport.

Summer-winter spread:
The difference between the price of natural gas in the summer compared to the price in the winter. 

Spot and futures markets: 
The spot market is the international financial market in which commodities are traded for immediate payment and prompt delivery. On a futures market, futures contracts are traded that will be fulfilled at some point in the future.

Synthetic methane: 
Synthetic methane is produced via the power-to-gas process. After hydrogen has been produced through electrolysis, it is converted into synthetic methane by adding carbon dioxide through methanisation.

Turquoise hydrogen: 
Hydrogen produced from natural gas via methane pyrolysis. Instead of CO₂, the production process generates solid carbon, which can be used in different industries depending on the quality.