The World Bank says it will not back using LNG for marine transport. It says that LNG is a source of methane emissions, which are currently unmeasured but which could overwhelm any advantage in CO2 reduction created by moving away from heavy fuel oil (HFO). LPG-powered ships often emit some methane as they burn the Propane gas.
Methane is well known as a bad source of pollution. One source is from cows, such as those confined to feedlots. But there are many others, including flaring gas from oil wells, fracking gas operations, and landfills. Nowadays at some landfills, methane is captured— pipes are sunk into the fill and the methane pumped to a generating station, to provide energy to operate the landfill’s equipment. It’s a good fuel when trapped, and burned into hydrogen and oxygen.
LNG is the symbol for Liquefied Natural Gas, and it consists largely of methane.
The World Bank prefers green hydrogen fuel for projects.
Not everyone agrees. some of the pushback has started already. Something like 25% of the newbuild ships today are slated to be LNG-powered. Perhaps more engineering needs to be applied to those ships, to reduce methane emissions.
Sam Chambers September 30, 2021
World Bank takes its anti-LNG stance to the IMO – Splash247
Sam Chambers October 5, 2021
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