Shipping: LNG is a “protagonist” in green transition

Liquefied earthy state (LNG) is emerging arsenic a starring subordinate successful the decarbonization of shipping, liable for astir 3% of planetary emissions. Given the obstacles to the improvement of alternate fuels, such arsenic methanol and ammonia, the marketplace already seems to beryllium moving much towards its adoption, arsenic infrastructure and supply are successful place.

According to executives from the Norwegian classification society, request for LNG arsenic a marine substance is expected to treble by 2030, with DNV presently signaling 781 dual-fuel ships successful cognition and predicting that this fleet will transcend 1,400 ships within the adjacent 5 years.

“Based connected the existent bid book, the fig of ships will scope 1,417 by 2030, but we expect it to summation arsenic caller orders are confirmed,” said Kristian Hammer, elder advisor astatine DNV.
Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (9104.T), which has the world’s second-largest shipping fleet, is aggressively turning to LNG arsenic a transition fuel. It presently operates 15 LNG dual-fuel ships and has ordered 42 more.

According to the company, LNG bunkering reduces emissions compared to lipid by 19% connected a “well-to-wake” basis, i.e. taking into relationship emissions from extraction and accumulation done to the depletion of the substance connected board.

Maersk’s “turn”

At the aforesaid time, the Danish elephantine Maersk, which until past year focused exclusively connected greenish methanol, is diversifying its strategy and has ordered 20 dual-fuel LNG instrumentality ships, with scheduled transportation from 2028 to 2030.

Meanwhile, a wide connection successful favour of the reliability of LNG arsenic a marine substance comes from a caller autarkic study successful France published by SEA-LNG, an planetary non-profit organization-alliance that promotes the use of liquefied earthy state (LNG) arsenic a marine fuel.

Researchers recorded emissions from Brittany Ferries’ Salamanca, which operates connected LNG, for a play of 12 months, with the results showing importantly little levels of methane leaks than antecedently estimated by European authorities.

Specifically, the yearly methane leakage was recovered to beryllium 1.57%, little than fractional of the default notation values (around 3.5%) used successful vessel emissions regulations.

The research, led by lecturer Benoit Sagot from ESTACA, was published successful the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering.