Fossil vs. Alternative Fuels - Energy Content
Calculate and compare energy content (calorific value) of various fossil and alternative fuels. Includes higher and lower heating values for gaseous, liquid, and solid fuels.
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Energy Content-- MJ
Energy Content-- Btu
Energy Content-- kWh
| Fuel Type | Density (kg/m³ or kg/L) | Gross Heating Value (MJ/kg) | Net Heating Value (MJ/kg) | Gross HV (Btu/lb) | Net HV (Btu/lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas (95% methane) | 0.747 | 54.0 | 48.7 | 23,216 | 20,956 |
| Natural gas (US marked) | 0.777 | 52.2 | 47.1 | 22,453 | 20,267 |
| Hydrogen | 0.09 | 142.2 | 120.2 | 61,127 | 51,682 |
| Still gas (refineries) | 1.159 | 51.0 | 46.9 | 21,905 | 20,163 |
| Crude oil | 846 | 45.5 | 42.7 | 19,580 | 18,352 |
| Conventional gasoline | 744 | 46.5 | 43.4 | 20,007 | 18,679 |
| Reformulated gasoline | 747 | 45.4 | 42.4 | 19,533 | 18,211 |
| Kerosene | 790 | 46.4 | — | 19,948 | — |
| U.S. conventional diesel | 836 | 45.8 | 42.8 | 19,676 | 18,397 |
| Low-sulfur diesel | 846 | 45.6 | 42.6 | 19,594 | 18,320 |
| Petroleum naphtha | 724 | 48.1 | 44.9 | 20,669 | 19,320 |
| LPG | 507 | 50.2 | 46.6 | 21,561 | 20,038 |
| LNG | 428 | 55.2 | 48.6 | 23,734 | 20,908 |
| Dimethyl ether (DME) | 664 | 31.7 | 28.9 | 13,620 | 12,417 |
| Methyl ester (biodiesel) | 887 | 40.2 | 37.5 | 17,269 | 16,134 |
| Fischer-Tropsch diesel | 796 | 45.5 | 43.2 | 19,549 | 18,593 |
| Ethanol | 788 | 29.8 | 27.0 | 12,832 | 11,587 |
| Liquid Hydrogen | 71 | 141.8 | 120.1 | 60,964 | 51,621 |
| MTBE | 742 | 38.0 | 35.1 | 16,319 | 15,094 |
| Butane | 584 | 49.2 | 45.3 | 21,157 | 19,466 |
| Propane | 507 | 50.2 | 46.3 | 21,597 | 19,904 |
| Petroleum coke | — | 31.3 | 29.5 | 13,460 | 12,685 |
| Coal (wet basis) | — | 24.0 | 22.7 | 10,304 | 9,773 |
| Coal (bituminous, wet) | — | 27.3 | 26.1 | 11,723 | 11,230 |
| Coal (anthracite) | — | 34.6 | — | 14,875 | — |
| Charcoal (wood) | — | 34.7 | — | 14,918 | — |
| Farmed trees (dry) | — | 20.6 | 19.6 | 8,852 | 8,406 |
| Wood (oak) | — | 18.9 | — | 8,126 | — |
| Wood (redwood) | — | 20.7 | — | 8,899 | — |
| Herbaceous biomass | — | 18.1 | 17.2 | 7,791 | 7,399 |
| Corn stover (dry) | — | 17.4 | 16.4 | 7,487 | 7,038 |
| Conversion | Value | Energy Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 U.S. gallon gasoline | — | 115,000 Btu = 121 MJ |
| 1 boe (barrel of oil equivalent) | 42 US gallons | 5.1 GJ = 4.8 million Btu |
| 1 metric tonne gasoline | 1,342 liter | 42.8 GJ |
| 1 U.S. gallon diesel | — | 129,000 Btu = 136 MJ |
| 1 liter diesel | — | 36.0 MJ |
| 1 metric tonne coal | bituminous | 32-35 GJ |
| 1 cubic feet natural gas | — | 950 Btu |
| 1 cubic meter natural gas | — | 36.5 MJ |