A new global initiative, Maritime Beyond Methane (MARBEM), has been launched with the specific goal of accelerating the shipping industry’s necessary transition away from all methane-based fuels. The initiative is composed of various experts and institutions from 13 countries and aims to tackle the growing reliance on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and related fuels, which it considers a barrier to a zero-emission future.
Initiative’s Mission and Scope
The newly-launched Maritime Beyond Methane (MARBEM) is a global initiative that works with policy experts, financial analysts, economists, and research institutions dedicated to aligning global climate ambition with maritime leadership. Its primary goal is to accelerate the shipping industry’s transition beyond methane-based fuels. The initiative, which includes partners in 13 countries, focuses on the entire LNG supply chain, encompassing fossil-LNG, bio-LNG, and e-LNG. MARBEM intends to clarify existing regulations, assess new technologies, and analyze the market trends that influence maritime decarbonization. It aims to provide independent, evidence-based data to encourage the sector to make tangible commitments toward truly future-ready shipping solutions.
The Problem with Methane-Based Fuels
Methane, the primary component in LNG, is a potent greenhouse gas that is 82 times more powerful than CO2 in the short term. The transition to LNG as a “bridge fuel” has led to a significant climate problem, with methane emissions from LNG-fueled ships rising by 180 percent between 2016 and 2023.
Despite the urgency of informed action, LNG continues to dominate new vessel construction, with LNG-dual fuel vessels accounting for 55 percent of the current orderbook. If this trend persists, fossil gas could account for over 10 percent of the global maritime fleet’s energy use by 2030. Furthermore, solutions like e-methane/e-LNG and biomethane/bio-LNG are viewed by MARBEM as misaligned, as they risk locking the sector into a long-term dependence on methane-based fuels, thereby obstructing the shift to a sustainable, zero-emission future.
Financial and Climate Consequences
The use of methane-based fuels is not only an environmental threat but also a growing financial liability. The global LNG-fueled fleet’s estimated 247,000 tons of methane emissions in 2023 translated to nearly $950 million in annual climate damages. This represents a near-fourfold increase from the 2016 figure of around $250 million.
This estimate is built on the U.S. EPA’s Social Cost of Methane, a monetary benchmark that incorporates the effects of ground-level ozone, a critical pollutant formed by methane. The initiative warns that the sector is at a critical juncture, and continuing down the path of methane-based fuels will only lead to more severe monetary penalties, costly retrofits, and early abandonment of vessels, as these fuels have no real impact on decarbonizing shipping or addressing the climate crisis.
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Source: Safety4sea
