Decarbonize process heat with your existing burners
The decarbonization of industrial process heat requires solutions that work today, not just when a comprehensive hydrogen infrastructure is available. LT GASETECHNIK develops and manufactures gas mixing systems that open up three tried-and-tested paths to CO₂ reduction:
- Solution 1: H₂ admixture in natural gas with adjustable hydrogen content
- Solution 2: CO₂-free natural gas replacement by leaning regenerative propane (rLPG) with air
- Solution 3: Enriching biogas with rLPG to natural gas quality
All three solutions use your existing burner infrastructure, without replacing burners and without interrupting production.
Which solution suits your process?
Describe your general conditions to us – our engineers will advise you on a solution that makes technical and economic sense for your location.
Why is a complete switch to hydrogen challenging for many companies?
Process heat accounts for around two thirds of industrial energy consumption and is therefore a key lever for achieving climate neutrality. At the same time, many companies face considerable hurdles: Green hydrogen is not yet available in sufficient quantities and the necessary pipeline infrastructure is still being developed.
Hydrogen is comparatively expensive (as of early 2026:)
H2: ~15 – 27 ct/kWh plus logistics
Natural gas: ~ 5 – 7 ct/kWh incl. grid charges and CO2 price
LPG: ~ 8-10 ct/kWh plus logistics
But CO₂ certificate prices are rising: 55 to 65 €/t CO₂ from 2026 (transition phase to the EU ETS2), with 100 – 250 €/t CO₂ expected by 2030, depending on the forecast model. This increases the economic pressure to act now.
Added to this are the fundamentally different combustion properties of hydrogen: H₂ has flammability limits of 4 to 75 vol% (compared to 5.3 to 15 vol% for methane), a laminar flame speed that is several times higher (typical factors of 4-6) and a higher adiabatic flame temperature with NOₓ formation potential. Pure hydrogen therefore requires adapted burners, extended safety concepts and fundamentally different system technology. In most cases, the burner defines feed limits of up to 20 % H₂ by volume.
The logistics also speak for themselves: less than 1 t of hydrogen can be transported by trailer, compared to around 20 t for LPG. Although the gravimetric energy content of hydrogen is higher than that of propane at 33.33 kWh/kg, burners work volumetrically, not gravimetrically. In terms of volume, propane has eight times the calorific value of hydrogen. In practice, an LPG trailer delivers around 280 MWh of energy, while an H₂ trailer only delivers around 36 MWh – less than an eighth. For industrial supply in 24/7 operation, this results in considerable logistical differences and a burden on local residents.
Solutions are therefore needed that protect existing investments, immediately reduce CO₂ emissions and can be adapted to the increasing availability of hydrogen without high investments, production downtimes or technical risks.
Solution 1: H₂ admixture in natural gas - gradual decarbonization with adjustable hydrogen content
Mixing H₂ into natural gas is the most direct way to use hydrogen as an energy source in existing burner installations. A gas mixing system from LT GASETECHNIK doses hydrogen precisely into the natural gas flow and produces a mixed gas with a defined H₂ content. The hydrogen content can be infinitely adjusted depending on burner approval, availability and process requirements.
Compatibility with existing burners: In many industrial applications, existing burners and thermoprocessing systems can process gas mixtures with up to 20% hydrogen by volume, in some cases even up to 30% by volume. Nozzle changes, conversion of control valves or adjustments to the firing control system are not necessary with these admixture ratios.
Control and gas quality: The gas mixing systems achieve a mixing accuracy of better than ±0.5 % by volume (if required, up to ±0.2 % by volume) of the final value. Integrated gas analyzers continuously record the H₂ content, calorific value and Wobbe index. The control system combines upstream ratio control with downstream Wobbe control for fine adjustment. The result is reproducible gas quality, even under dynamic load changes. All gas mixing systems can be integrated into higher-level control systems.
Capacity range and future-proofing: LT GASETECHNIK has already implemented gas blending plants for blending H₂ into natural gas in the capacity range from 10 to over 3,000 Nm³/h (approx. 35 MWh/h). This mixture is already being practiced or tested in 20 plants. If the availability of hydrogen increases, the proportion of H₂ can be increased without building new plants. If H2 use decreases, less or no H2 can be added.
Advantages of the H₂ admixture at a glance
Infinitely adjustable
Depending on the concept, the H₂ content can be infinitely adjusted from 0 to 20 % by volume to 0 to 100 % by volume to suit burner release and availability.
Reproducible gas quality
Mixing accuracy better than ±0.5% by volume of the final value thanks to fully automatic control of H₂ content, calorific value and Wobbe index.
H₂-ready
If the availability of hydrogen increases, the proportion of H₂ can be increased without building a new plant.
Solution 2: How can renewable propane (rLPG) be used as a CO₂-free substitute for natural gas?
Regenerative propane (rLPG), also known as bio-LPG, biopropane or biopropane, is chemically identical to conventional propane and is obtained from renewable raw materials or as a by-product of biodiesel production. As 100% rLPG, it is exempt from EU ETS levies and enables a completely CO₂-free natural gas replacement for existing burner installations.
How the reduction works: The lower calorific value of propane is 25.48 kWh/m³, that of natural gas (H-gas) is around 10.5 kWh/m³. In order to be able to use propane in natural gas burners, this higher calorific value must be lowered in a targeted manner. An LPG/air mixing system from LT GASETECHNIK reduces vaporized liquid propane by adding air, in a ratio of around 53% propane to 47% air. The resulting synthetic natural gas (SNG) has almost identical combustion properties to natural gas: Wobbe index, flame speed and ignition behavior correspond to natural gas levels. An online gas analyzer continuously monitors the calorific value and regulates the gas mixing system to the specified target value. Existing burners, piping systems and control valves can continue to be operated without adaptation. Safety in the not uncritical mixture of propane with air is ensured by various measures as a result of HAZOP, including the use of a SIL 2 gas analyzer for oxygen monitoring in the gas mixture.
Output range: LT GASETECHNIK has realized LPG/air mixing systems as natural gas substitutes in the output range from 0.5 to 70 MW. Solutions of up to 12,000 m³/h natural gas equivalent are possible as individual systems. Operators rely on redundancy when using several gas mixing plants assigned to the process plants.
Economic advantages: Propane is traded worldwide, can be delivered by tanker or tank wagon and is not subject to the price fluctuations of the pipeline-based natural gas market. In addition to being CO2-free, synthetic natural gas from rLPG offers price stability and security of supply, regardless of grid connection and gas market volatility. Other application scenarios include backup solutions for natural gas supply interruptions, use outside a natural gas core network and peak shaving to cover peak loads, with a quick start from standby in under a minute.
Advantages of CO₂-free natural gas replacement at a glance
100 % CO₂-free
rLPG with air produces a completely CO₂-free natural gas substitute, exempt from EU ETS levies as 100% rLPG.
Supply
Propane supply by tanker, independent of the natural gas network, with quick start in under a minute as a backup in the event of natural gas bottlenecks.
Price stability
rLPG is not subject to the fluctuations of the natural gas market and CO₂ pricing, calculable energy costs in long-term operation.
Solution 3: Enrich biogas with rLPG to natural gas quality
Biogas has a significantly lower calorific value than natural gas. In order to use biogas as a fully-fledged replacement for natural gas in existing burner installations, its calorific value must be specifically increased to the level of natural gas.
How the enrichment works: A gas mixing system from LT GASETECHNIK enriches biogas with regenerative propane (rLPG). The high calorific value of the propane (25.48 kWh/m³) raises the low calorific value of the biogas exactly to the target value of the existing natural gas. An integrated gas analyzer continuously monitors the calorific value online. The gas mixing system automatically regulates to the specified target value, even if the biogas quality fluctuates.
CO₂ balance: If 100% CO2-neutral rLPG is used as an enrichment component, the resulting gas mixture is completely CO₂-free. Existing burners, pipelines and control valves can continue to be operated without adaptation, as the combustion properties of the mixture correspond to those of natural gas.
This approach is particularly suitable for companies that have biogas or use regionally available biomethane and want to compensate for the remaining calorific value difference to natural gas with (bio)propane. LT GASETECHNIK designs each biogas/rLPG blending system individually for biogas quality and process requirements.
Advantages of biogas enrichment at a glance
Upgrading biogas
Own or regionally available biogas is enriched with propane to become a fully-fledged natural gas substitute for existing burners.
Compensate for fluctuations
An integrated gas analyzer compensates for varying biogas compositions fully automatically to the natural gas target value.
CO₂-neutral
With rLPG as an enrichment component, the resulting gas mixture is completely CO₂-free, without any restrictions for the process.
Where are gas mixing plants used for the energy transition?
Gas mixing systems from LT GASETECHNIK are used in numerous industrial applications. In the steel, glass and ceramics industries, they produce gas mixtures for heating, annealing, melting and drying processes with typical volume flows of 10 to 12,000 Nm³/h. The decisive criterion for large-scale consumers is the rapid adaptation to changing requirements with constant mixed gas quality.
Burner testing institutes and manufacturers of gas appliances use the gas mixing systems to produce different natural gas qualities and variable H₂ proportions for development, testing and certification. For engines and turbines, the focus is on the density and specific heat capacity of the gas mixture; for fuel cell test benches, the focus is on mapping different performance and tolerance ranges.
In addition, gas blending plants serve as a backup system in the event of natural gas supply interruptions and for peak shaving. Even in regions without a developed natural gas infrastructure, SNG plants enable production to start immediately; the gas mixing plant serves as an interim solution until a natural gas pipeline is available.
Proven technology - your path to climate-neutral process heat
All three solutions are based on the same foundation: more than five decades of practical experience with combustible gases. LT GASETECHNIK has supplied over 2,000 systems worldwide for the control and mixing of highly compressed industrial and fuel gases, including 250 customized gas mixing systems, around 90 of which use hydrogen as a mixing component.
From the initial design to ongoing maintenance, LT GASETECHNIK provides complete support for every project: Concept and detail engineering, production, automation, commissioning, risk analysis(HAZOP) and CE conformity assessment. LT is part of the weyer group, which means that you also have access to established partners for safety consulting, explosion protection and approval management.
Frequently asked questions about gas mixing systems for hydrogen and CO₂-free natural gas replacement
With H₂ admixture, a gas mixing system doses hydrogen precisely into the natural gas flow. The H₂ content is infinitely adjustable, in many cases up to 20% by volume, in individual applications up to 30% by volume, and is continuously monitored by integrated gas analyzers with an accuracy of better than ±0.5% by volume. Existing burners can continue to be operated without modification. LT GASETECHNIK has realized reference systems in the range from 10 to 2,000 Nm³/h.
Synthetic natural gas is produced by mixing vaporized propane with air in a ratio of around 53% to 47%. The resulting gas mixture has almost identical combustion properties to natural gas. If regenerative propane (rLPG) is used, the mixture is completely CO₂-free; as 100% rLPG, it is exempt from EU ETS levies. LT GASETECHNIK implements LPG/air systems as a substitute for natural gas in the power range from 0.5 to 70 MW.
Yes, existing burners, pipelines and control valves can continue to be used without modifications, both when blending H₂ and when using synthetic natural gas from rLPG/air or biogas/rLPG. The gas mixing system produces a gas mixture whose Wobbe index, flame speed and ignition behavior correspond to the existing natural gas. LT GASETECHNIK designs each system individually for the respective process and location.
System references in the range of 10 to 2,000 Nm³/h are available for H₂ blending in natural gas. LPG/air systems as a substitute for natural gas cover a power range from 0.5 to 70 MW; solutions of up to 12,000 m³/h natural gas equivalent are possible as individual systems. LT GASETECHNIK has implemented a total of 250 customer-specific gas mixing systems worldwide, including around 90 with H₂ admixture.
LT GASETECHNIK has more than 50 years of experience in the safety-related design of systems for flammable gases. Every gas mixing system undergoes a systematic risk assessment (HAZOP) and is equipped with SIL-classified safety components in accordance with EN IEC 61508. Hydrogen-compatible fittings and elastomers, explosion protection concepts and integrated gas warning and interlocking systems ensure safe operation even with dynamic load changes.
Gas mixing systems from LT GASETECHNIK have special quick-start properties: From stand-by, the system delivers the correct gas mixture and gas quantity in under a minute. With a cold start after complete shutdown, the start-up time for hot water vaporizers is approx. 30-45 minutes, for electrically heated vaporizers approx. 10-20 minutes. This makes SNG systems suitable as a reliable backup solution for natural gas supply interruptions and for peak shaving.
With a pressure-regulated gas mixing system, the outlet pressure is fixed and the quantity is adjusted accordingly.
An LT SNG gas mixing system works in a similar way to a natural gas supply, the mixing system produces the quantity (within the min/max limits) required to keep the pressure constant at the set value. The same pressure will always prevail in the plant network. If the company wants to consume less NG and replace part of it with SNG,
the quantity of natural gas supplied must be regulated.
The plant network behaves like a vessel that is filled with NG by the GDRM and with SNG by the gas mixing system. If the GDRM system supplies a defined quantity, the additional consumption is balanced out by the mixing system so that the filling level (pressure) remains constant. The defined quantity of GDRM must be less than the total consumption, otherwise the pressure in the plant network will increase. If consumption in the plant network falls, the gas mixing system reduces the
delivery quantity. If consumption in the plant network increases, the gas mixing system increases the gas mixture quantity.
A quantity-controlled LT gas mixing system regulates the quantity constantly, the pressure is adjusted.
For SNG in the works network, the following applies: The pressure in the works network is adjusted via the GDRM with natural gas. The quantity requirement for the mixing system must be within the design limits. It should be noted that SNG mixes with NG
and flows into a pipe network designed for NG. The necessary technical requirements for this should be clarified.
Example: The plant network behaves like a vessel that is filled with NG by the GDRM and with SNG by the gas mixing plant. If the same amount is withdrawn (by the consumers) as is supplied, the level (pressure) in the
vessel (the plant network) remains constant. If consumption changes, the mixing system continues to supply the requested quantity and the GDRM adjusts automatically. If a quantity is requested that is greater than the current consumption
, the pressure in the network increases. When a defined limit pressure is reached (fill level, analogous to the vessel), the control system triggers an alarm and switches the mixing system to pressure maintenance, keeping the network pressure constant. The mixing system only switches back to volume control when the quantity of mixed gas removed falls below the originally requested quantity.
H₂-ready means that a gas mixing system from LT GASETECHNIK is designed in such a way that it can be retrofitted with a hydrogen admixture. Gas mixing systems from 400 Nm³/h can be designed with the “H₂-ready” option. This enables subsequent conversion to a three-component mixture of propane gas, hydrogen and air or nitrogen. The conversion usually takes around two weeks. This allows operators to start with a pure SNG system and flexibly add the hydrogen component as H₂ availability increases, without having to procure a new system.
When mixing propane with air, there is always a risk of an explosive atmosphere in the plant network. LT GASETECHNIK therefore uses a SIL 2-classified oxygen gas analyzer that permanently monitors the O₂ content in the mixed gas and shuts down the system independently of the control system or switches to a redundant line if a limit value is exceeded. This reliably prevents the formation of an explosive atmosphere in the plant gas line. This is supplemented by mechanical gas non-return valves, safety relief valves and an integrated gas warning system with propane and oxygen sensors.
Yes, LT Gasetechnik offers gas mixing systems that are designed precisely for this purpose. The technology makes it possible to mix natural gas with propane and hydrogen (H2) according to individual specifications and in variable ratios.
The systems are highly flexible and can be designed for different output ranges. Solutions that enable natural gas to be mixed with green hydrogen are being developed specifically for the energy transition.
In practice, gas mixtures with up to 20 vol% H2 content are common. There are no limits for the natural gas purchased on your premises; there is no limit for blending. From a regulatory point of view, the basic principles for the natural gas network have been updated for a feed-in of up to 20 vol.%”H2.
Many industrial burners are technically at 10 to 20 vol.%, some at 30 vol.%. Please check the burner documentation.
The H2 concentration in the gas mixture is measured in the gas mixture output using a gas analyzer; the H2 admixture is regulated by the LT control unit. The concentration set by the setpoint value remains constant regardless of the H2 content in the natural gas.
Gas/air mixing systems can produce a gas with very similar properties to natural gas and offer an ideal alternative to natural gas. The system converts liquid propane or LPG into gas and mixes
it with air in an adjustable ratio. The resulting gas mixture is then called synthetic natural gas and can replace natural gas. It is generally compatible with all applications and components such as
pipes/fittings/burners. Systems are also connected directly to the factory natural gas lines, which simplifies use.
In this context, the term SNG system is also used, as the term SNG stands for Synthetic Natural Gas, i.e. a natural gas substitute. Companies that rely on natural gas as their primary energy source and are threatened by energy disruptions have been using SNG systems for decades.
In the context of the energy transition, renewable propane (rLPG) can be used as a CO2-free alternative. With a gas mixing plant, rSNG and natural gas substitutes that are up to 100% free of CO2 emission certificates can be obtained.
LT offers various concepts for the energy transition in the form of gas mixers and gas mixing systems with different levels of performance. On the one hand, we rely on our standard program, on the other hand, the design of an individual gas mixing plant is unavoidable from a certain
size class. A typical LT gas mixing plant consists of
- Strainer
- Pressure regulator with SAV
- Temperature and pressure-compensated measuring and control sections
- Gas non-return valves
- gas mixer element
- SIL 2 oxygen gas analyzer and SIL shutdown independent of the control system with limit value transmitters and fittings to prevent explosive gas mixtures in the plant network, including SIL circuit verification
- Gas warning system with fuel gas sensors (explosion protection) and oxygen sensor (personal protection) and gas warning center
- Industrial controller for closed-loop control of flow and solenoid valves and display of all measured values, alarms and status messages on the local touch screen
- Fully assembled and tested, ex works, with CE marking, 3D drawings and complete documentation
Do you only want an LT gas mixing system or a complete solution with tank, vaporizer from a partner company of LT GASETECHNIK?
Gas consumption per day [Nm³ or kWh] Operating mode (24/7?), gas consumption at peak [Nm³/h or kg/h]Heating value of your natural gas
Factory network pressure [barg]Wobbe index analysis (heating value, calorific value) required?
Gases to be mixed Natural gas / hydrogen / LPG / biogas / air… with pressures and temperatures
Special features at the installation site
Ready for the next step?
Our engineers will develop a gas mixing system that is precisely tailored to your process and your site conditions.
Please contact us at the following e-mail address: