TOPLINE Members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will deliver the first of four on Monday, which is expected to highlight the growing influence of methane in the warming of the atmosphere.
KEY POINTS
- A total of more than 130 LNG-powered vessels are under construction, including more than 40 container ships
- Cleaner high-pressure LNG power plants will see less use than the cheaper low-pressure version. This could have major climate effects because methane is a greenhouse gas 80 times more powerful than carbon compared to carbon emissions.
- Scientists are now concerned about the potential collapse of the Gulf Stream, a key global flow that maintains global climate-stable air and sea convection.
ARTICLE
Methane is a key component of liquefied natural gas (LNG), a supposed cleaner and more efficient transition fuel that many in the shipping industry believe will provide a stepping-stone to zero-emission shipping. In addition, it is also being used more and more to replace electricity generation on land as well as to power large ships.
CMA CGM has ordered 14 LNG-powered vessels, several of which have already been delivered, and Matson, the US Jones Act operator, has also ordered similar ships. According to an information source, MSC has agreed to sign a long-term chartering contract with East Pacific Shipping Company for eleven 15,300 Teu LNG dual-fuelled new build vessels.
Currently, a total of more than 130 LNG-powered vessels are under construction, including more than 40 container ships, said shipbroker Gibsons.
In fact, CMA CGM ships operating on a low-pressure engine design are more susceptible to methane slippage because not all LNG is burned in the cylinders and the methane is released into the atmosphere via the exhaust. With high-pressure engines, there is less methane slippage, however, the cost to install is much higher.
As a result, some scientists believe cleaner high-pressure LNG power plants will see less use than the cheaper low-pressure version. This could have major climate effects because methane is a greenhouse gas 80 times more powerful than carbon compared to carbon emissions.
Meanwhile, other shipowners are contemplating placing orders for LNG-powered vessels, with advice from organizations such as the Class Society DNV saying that LNG could allow shipping lines to meet their 30% reduction target. greenhouse gases of the International Maritime Organization 2030.
However, scientists are now concerned about the potential collapse of the Gulf Stream, a key global flow that maintains global climate-stable air and sea convection. Gulf Stream instability is one of the major tipping points that cannot be reversed and could fundamentally alter climate conditions around the globe.
In addition, IMO’s fourth GHG report published a year ago, highlighted an 86% increase in methane emissions from shipping, even before many larger LNG-powered vessels were introduced. transfer.
Minh Ngo
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