“Shipowners making decisions on future fuel pathways must rely on independent, fact based full Well-to-Wake data of all the fuels, ensuring decision making that contributes to reducing the overall emission levels in the maritime industry. That is why, as an organization, we place high value on rigorous independent studies to support our members and contribute to the safe and sustainable decarbonization of the maritime industry”.
Mark Bell, Managing Director of SGMF
Using fossil LNG reduces Well-to-Wake (WtW) GHG emissions by 16 to 25% for 2-stroke slow speed engines and by 11% for 4-stroke medium-speed engines compared to engines using oil-based fuels. The study includes fugitive methane emissions from the supply chains as well as during the onboard combustion process (i.e., methane slip).
Additional reductions are possible in LNG is provided from biogenic or synthetic sources. Biogenic LNG from anaerobically biodegrading waste can reduce WtW by up 80% without carbon capture and storage, and by over 110% if the CO2 produced during biodegradation is captured and stored.
Synthetic LNG produced from clean hydrogen and CO2 captured from the atmosphere or biogenic point sources can reduce WtW GHG emissions by up to 80% compared to oil-based fuels.
However, achieving these potential reductions with biogenic or synthetic LNG will depend on the availability of feedstocks, renewable electricity, and infrastructure.
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