BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 19. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is still the go-to choice for greener shipping, according to a study by Rystad Energy, an independent energy research and business intelligence company from Norway, Trend reports.
According to the research, over 2,400 ships worldwide already run on LNG, and there are another 1,000 on order.
"These ships use boil-off gas as fuel, reducing their reliance on external LNG bunkering. Even excluding LNG carriers, the fuel remains the most common choice for dual-fuel ships in the global fleet," the company explains.
Rystad Energy noted that car carriers are leading the charge in adopting LNG, followed by container ships and more LNG carriers. In fact, over 75 percent of new car carriers ordered in 2023 opted for dual-fuel LNG engines. And many of these new ships can switch to cleaner fuels like ammonia or methanol, showing a commitment to a greener future.
However, even with all these LNG-powered ships, the maritime industry still struggles with methane slip (gaseous methane emissions).
"Methane slip can occur not only during the combustion process in ship engines but also during the bunkering process. This is heavily influenced by the quality of infrastructure and the efficiency of the technology employed. The industry must work closely with regulators and policymakers to establish strict standards and best practices for bunkering operations. Implementing effective monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track and mitigate methane emissions across the supply chain is paramount," said Junlin Yu, Senior Analyst at Rystad Energy.
