LNG, a key element to decarbonise the maritime sector

Liquefied Natural Gas is a transitional fuel needed to decarbonise shipping activities as long as the production of zero- or low-carbon fuels remains insufficient.

This has been assured by the European Commission, after the criticism received by various environmental groups for the inclusion of LNG in the FuelEU Maritime directive, which aims to contribute to the decarbonization of the sector.

In the opinion of its detractors, the inclusion of gas will slow the adoption of other zero-emission options. However, as the European Commission’s Director of Mobility and Energy Intensive Industries, Joaquim Nunes de Almeida, points out, we must be aware that it is not realistic to make a sudden shift towards e-fuels and advanced biofuels.

During a conference organized by Euractiv, he explained the difficult situation that the maritime transport industry is going through due to the increase in the price of fuels and the lack of real alternatives for the moment.

That is why in the design of the package of measures ‘Fit for 55’, from Brussels they have preferred to establish more staggered objectives to give time to the sustainable fuels industry to increase its production and ensure that over time, the necessary amount is available to meet the demand of the sector. On the other hand, the Commission has proposed to include maritime transport in the emissions trading system, which puts a price on carbon emissions.

A new scenario for the Cruise sector

In the case of the cruise sector, over the next few years different propulsion technologies and batteries will be combined, with the aim of complying with all the requirements established by the regulation and achieving a completely carbon neutral navigation.

In this sense, hydrogen is problematic for the cruise industry for the space required, quadrupling that needed for fossil fuels, but the advantages of options such as synthetic LNG have been valued.

Source: More Container