LNG: tool of change for shipping emissions?
A study, commissioned by industry coalitions SEA-LNG and SGMF, has put forward that greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions of up to 23% can now be achieved by using LNG as a marine fuel, depending on the marine technology employed.
It is the second lifecycle GHG emission study report on the use of LNG as a marine fuel published by Sphera (formerly thinkstep), revisiting its 2018/2019 research. The study was conducted according to ISO standards.
The analysis concluded that, in addition to the considerable air quality benefits it delivers, LNG can “beyond question” contribute significantly to the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) GHG reduction targets.
Commenting on the research, SEA-LNG chairman Peter Keller said: “Methane slip has become an overused argument for those wishing to justify inaction. The Sphera study underlines the advances being made to counteract this concern. Its analysis provides independent confirmation that, by 2030, methane slip will have been virtually eliminated as technological improvements continue. The facts consistently confirm that there is no deep-sea alternative fuel in the short to medium term other than LNG."
Importantly, the study also reaffirms that the use of LNG as a marine fuel has significant air quality benefits, with local emissions, such as sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM), all close to zero." (cd)
www.sea-lng.org/2021/04/independent-study-confirms-lng-reduces-shipping-ghg-emissions-by-up-to-23