The result of MEPC 83 in April might set up the IMO’s mid-term GHG and carbon pricing technique for reaching net-zero by round 2050. Not everyone seems to be ready; they’ve sufficient confidence within the LNG pathway to order new ships.
In keeping with the newest figures from DNV’s Various Fuels Perception (AFI) platform, 34 new orders for alternative-fueled vessels have been positioned in February 2025, 33 of them for LNG-fueled container ships.
The development is continuous this week with CSSC subsidiary Jiangnan Shipyard reporting orders value round $2.5 billion for LNG-fueled container ships on March 2.
Greater than 305 LNG-fueled ships have been ordered final yr, accounting for about 14% of newbuilding orders, considerably outpacing methanol and ammonia.
A report launched this week by Lloyd’s Register notes that LNG retrofits are surging. With zero-emission gas provide chains nonetheless of their infancy, many operators are seeing LNG as probably the most viable retrofit possibility.
Additionally this week, the U.S. Division of Power introduced an order that removes limitations for using LNG as marine gas.
A container ship case examine launched late final yr by SEA-LNG indicated that the gas supplies the bottom compliance value for assembly EU and IMO decarbonization laws. The premise for that is that the LNG pathway presents GHG reductions now and sooner or later. The usage of LNG additionally dramatically reduces SOx, NOx and particulate matter thereby avoiding using comparatively costly MGO for Emission Management Space compliance.
A right away good thing about being on the LNG pathway was demonstrated by Furetank final month. The corporate’s tanker Fure Viken was bunkered with mass-balanced bio-LNG as a approach of complying with the brand new FuelEU Maritime Regulation which requires a 2% discount in GHG depth this yr.
Mass balancing entails buying and injecting biomethane of licensed origins into the fuel grid, whereas the corresponding quantity of fuel is withdrawn from the grid and liquefied into maritime gas. This satisfies FuelEU Maritime necessities.
Renewable e-LNG, which is synthesized from CO2 and hydrogen utilizing renewable power, is attracting consideration as an extra huge step alongside the pathway to net-zero that can be utilized in current LNG-fueled vessels, and this week noticed one other dedication to it. MOL joined the e-NG Coalition saying:
“Along with utilizing carbon-neutral e-methane as marine gas, MOL will contribute to the broader use of e-methane and the institution of a price chain by creating an artificial gas provide chain, backed by its in depth know-how in LNG transport collected over the previous 4 many years in addition to experience in ocean transport of liquefied CO2.”
Renewable e-LNG presents medium and long-term advantages and might enter the market comparatively shortly, however the path will not be with out its challenges. A latest report ready by ABS and CE Delft and revealed by EMSA notes an enormous growth within the variety of renewable-electricity crops, electrolyzers, direct air seize (DAC) crops and e-fuel synthesis crops will likely be wanted.
“Whereas the projected international development in renewable electrical energy manufacturing might show giant sufficient to serve the demand for e-fuels of the business fleet in 2030, electrolysis capability, e-fuels synthesis capability and DAC capability will not be anticipated to maintain tempo. Moreover, the transport sector might want to compete with all different sectors for the renewable electrical energy, inexperienced hydrogen and renewable CO2 required for e-fuels manufacturing.”
Regulatory measures appear to be indispensable: “With out international coverage measures to both bridge the value hole or to encourage ships to make use of inexperienced fuels, a transition in direction of e-fuels with zero-CO2 affect is unlikely to speed up on the desired velocity and scale within the subsequent decade,” states the report.
And, as Aurelia Leeuw, EU Coverage Director on the Skies and Seas Hydrogen-fuels Accelerator (SASHA) Coalition, says: “Transparency have to be the purpose of departure for coverage: solely an sincere account of fuels’ lifecycle emissions can lead us to probably the most sustainable gas combine and the soundness the business wants. It now falls to policymakers to chart the course in direction of e-fuels which have the bottom lifecycle emissions.”
Source link
