Cruise operators are replacing oil-based fuel with liquefied natural gas (LNG) to run their ships and pitching the shift as a greener way to travel.
Secrets Unveiled
- Although ships burning LNG result in about 25% less carbon dioxide emissions than traditional marine fuels, the vessels often fail to combust all of the invisible gas.
- Switzerland-based MSC Cruises SA said in a statement that data from the World Europa’s engine manufacturer show the ship’s engines have methane leakage significantly lower than the rate of 3.1%, “which is an indicative value based on older technologies.”
Changing The World
Methane, which is the primary component of LNG and responsible for roughly 30% of the planet’s heating, has more than 80 times the global warming potential (GWP) of carbon dioxide during its first two decades in the atmosphere. Halting releases of the planet-wrecking gas is one of the most effective ways to ease the Earth’s soaring temperatures within a few years.
“LNG is far from an ideal solution,’’ said Constance Dijkstra, a shipping campaigner with T&E. “Cruise operators are currently claiming they are going greener while still using damaging fossil fuels. To future-proof the sector, we need to move ships towards green-hydrogen based fuels.”
Decarbonization Dilemma
MSC Cruises, a privately held company that operates 23 vessels globally, says in a promotional video for the MSC World Europa that LNG powered ships use “the cleanest marine fuel available at scale today.”
“The use of LNG as a shipping fuel instead of diesel improves the air quality and reduces the detrimental human health impacts of air emissions,’’ the authors wrote.
Methane leaks from ships can occur when the gas enters an engine cylinder for combustion but is shielded in crevices, which leads to a fraction of the fuel exiting unburned, according to the Atmosphere paper.
Real Climate Impact
Using the European Commission fuel slip figures and including emissions generated during the production and transport of LNG, T&E estimates the climate impact over a 20-year period from a ship using a common four-stroke engine type is roughly 6.1 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent for each tonne of LNG it burns.
Measuring the impact of methane over 100 years drops that figure to roughly 4.5 tonnes. The same type of engine spews about 4.4 tonnes of CO2 for an equivalent amount of marine gasoil.
“We’re so close to being technologically ready,’’ said Dijkstra. The question is “how do we make sure that those green e-fuels are available and how do we make sure we have investors, regulators and the shipping companies themselves are all ready to make a leap forward.’’ — Bloomberg
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Source: The Star
