SEA-LNG Predicts Elimination of Methane Slip by End of Decade

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday August 1, 2024

LNG bunker industry body SEA-LNG forecasts the methane slip problem associated with gas-powered ships will be eliminated by the end of the decade.

2-stroke diesel cycle engines have 'effectively eliminated slip already', while for 4-stroke engines the issue has already been diminished considerably, and technology updates from the heavy-duty vehicle sector indicate it can be eradicated, the industry body said in an emailed statement on Thursday.

Methane has a much larger atmospheric warming impact than CO2, and thus methane slip from the unburned gas leaked from LNG-fuelled ships has historically been a concern for companies seeking to reduce their GHG emissions.

"There is universal agreement that the science is understood, and we have the necessary tools and technology to abate methane emissions, it is the final elements of the engineering that are being worked on," Peter Keller, chairman of SEA-LNG, said in the statement.

"This, in combination with the option to transition to net zero emissions through bio-methane and e-methane, provides ship owners and operators with the confidence that vessels ordered today are future-proofed for the next 25-30 years.

"This cannot be said for any other alternative fuel right now."

Ship & Bunker News Team
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