Sales of gas-powered cars are plummeting, but the technology remains important for Italia

“Supporting conversions to LPG and CNG – adds Assogasliquidi – helps not only to maintain momentum in the transition towards a less environmentally damaging transport model, but also to support ‘Made in Italy’, as the underlying technology is largely Italian, produced by the Italian supply chain and often exported abroad.”

However, the LPG market is not limited to the transport sector; total demand for LPG in 2025 stood at 3.2 million tonnes (+0.6 per cent). Consumption was divided almost equally between the two main segments: the transport sector, which stood at 1.5 million tonnes, down 1.3 per cent, and the heating sector (which accounted for 1.6 million tonnes, +2.6 per cent), which represents one of the very few alternatives for all users not connected to the natural gas network and for those with intermittent usage throughout the year.

There are also great opportunities for the future linked to the development of biofuels. “No infrastructure changes are needed,” Assogasliquidi explains, “as the same vehicles, equipment and infrastructure that use LPG can accommodate bio-LPG without the need for modifications. The same applies to the switch from LNG to bio-LNG in lorries and ships. What is needed, however, are tax reliefs and tax credits for LNG and bioLNG because, at present, the running costs of a heavy goods vehicle powered by traditional fuels are still lower. We need to redress this imbalance.”

MIT has allocated a fund of 590 million for the renewal of the heavy goods vehicle fleet, but the implementing regulations have yet to be adopted.

Whilst the main market for LNG today is heavy goods transport, followed by industrial users, the outlook for maritime transport looks very promising. According to a Bip study commissioned by the association, a sharp increase in orders for LNG-powered ships is on the horizon, and the first bunkering operations (i.e. the refuelling of these ships) took place in the Mediterranean last year. The feeling is that LNG for maritime use could experience a real boom in the coming years.

“In recent months,” said Matteo Cimenti, President of Assogasliquidi, in his address to the assembly, “there have been signs of a promising new EU approach to managing the transition. If this is confirmed in practice, liquefied gases will play an even greater role in the daily lives of consumers and businesses, thanks in part to the efforts made by Italian industry in terms of investment, infrastructure and technology.”

According to Cimenti, this same approach “should be applied to the implementation of the ‘Green Homes’ Directive, which – if not applied in a technologically neutral manner – will only manage to address a very small proportion of Europe’s housing stock, moving us further away from achieving our decarbonisation targets”.

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