Fossil fuels, including petroleum, coal, and natural gas, are hydrocarbon-rich materials formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals. These sources have powered the world’s industrial and technological expansion for more than a century. The practical, functional, and economic attributes of these fuels provide distinct advantages that continue to shape global energy systems and manufacturing processes.
High Energy Density
The inherent chemical structure of fossil fuels allows them to store a massive amount of energy within a small volume or mass, a property known as high energy density. This characteristic is important for mobile applications where weight and space limitations are significant constraints. For example, a kilogram of gasoline contains over 40 times the stored energy of a typical lithium-ion battery.
This disparity in gravimetric energy density exists because liquid fuels only carry hydrocarbon molecules, drawing oxygen from the air during combustion. Batteries, conversely, must physically carry all components required for the chemical reaction, adding to their total weight. This high energy-to-weight ratio is why liquid hydrocarbons remain the standard for long-distance, heavy-duty transport. Commercial aviation, transoceanic shipping, and long-haul trucking rely on this concentrated energy storage to achieve the necessary range and payload capacity.
Reliability for Continuous Power Supply
Fossil fuel power plants, particularly those running on natural gas and coal, provide a functional advantage in electricity generation through their dispatchability. Dispatchable power sources can be turned on, turned off, or adjusted in output to meet real-time fluctuations in electricity demand. This ability to provide power on demand is distinct from generation sources whose output depends on weather conditions or time of day.
Natural gas plants can respond quickly to changes in demand, making them effective for meeting sudden surges or “peak loads” on the grid. Coal power, while slower to start, operates continuously as baseload power, providing a stable foundation of electricity supply. Furthermore, the fuel can be easily stored in large stockpiles or tanks at the power plant site. This on-site storage ensures a continuous energy reserve, which is important for maintaining grid stability and uninterrupted power delivery.
Established Global Supply Chains
The infrastructure supporting the extraction, processing, and distribution of fossil fuels is the most extensive and mature global supply network in the world. This established system includes upstream components like drilling rigs, midstream assets such as pipelines and LNG terminals, and downstream operations like refineries. This vast physical network makes accessing and transporting these energy sources logistically straightforward and economically efficient.
The maturity of this supply chain translates into economic accessibility for nearly every country, reducing the barrier to entry for securing energy supplies. Crude oil can be shipped by tanker across any ocean, and natural gas can be liquefied and transported to distant markets. The long-standing nature of this infrastructure provides a baseline for stability in energy trade, as standardized processes and existing trade routes minimize logistical uncertainty.
Versatility as Chemical Feedstocks
Beyond their use as fuels, petroleum and natural gas are indispensable as raw materials, or feedstocks, for the chemical industry. While roughly 90% of fossil hydrocarbons are burned for energy, the remaining portion is chemically transformed into petrochemicals that form the basis of countless modern materials. This non-combustion application is a significant advantage that is currently difficult to replicate on a massive scale.
Petrochemicals derived from oil and gas are the molecular building blocks for nearly all plastics, including polyethylene and polypropylene. Natural gas is also a primary feedstock for producing ammonia, an essential component of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers that support global food production. Other products like asphalt, synthetic rubber for tires, and various pharmaceutical ingredients also originate from these hydrocarbon feedstocks.