Clear and constant regulation is essential to driving maritime decarbonisation. With this in thoughts, and forward the Worldwide Maritime Group’s (IMO) eightieth Marine Setting Safety Committee (MEPC 80), business affiliation SEA-LNG is looking on the IMO to control all greenhouse gasoline (GHG) emissions from delivery, together with carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide on a full lifecycle, Nicely-to-Wake, foundation. IMO regulation must be aim based mostly and expertise impartial with the ambition of attaining convergence between international and regional measures.
At MEPC 80, the IMO is about to revise its Preliminary Technique on the Discount of Greenhouse Fuel Emissions from Ships. The revised technique will include concrete GHG discount targets for the sector and is anticipated to stipulate a basket of technical and financial measures to be developed to set international delivery on an bold path in direction of aligning with Paris Local weather Settlement targets.
Methane emissions related to the usage of LNG as a marine gas, specifically methane slip in engine combustion cycles, is a subject that has the maritime business’s full consideration. The business has made nice strides to cut back methane slip on a voluntary foundation. Engine applied sciences exist already with just about no methane slip, and for these low-pressure engines the place it stays a problem, persevering with improvements by engine producers have resulted in ranges of methane slip falling four-fold over the previous 20 years. Additional, particular programmes have lately been arrange with the goal of addressing methane slip, such because the Methane Abatement in Maritime Innovation Initiative (MAMII) and the Inexperienced Ray mission. Moreover, upstream emissions of methane are being addressed by numerous United Nations (UN) and business initiatives. The very best profile of those is the World Methane Pledge (GMP), launched at COP26 in November 2021 to catalyse motion to cut back methane emissions.
Voluntary initiatives are to be inspired and applauded however progress must be accelerated if the 1.5 levels Celsius temperature aim of the Paris Settlement is to be met. The best method of doing that is by way of regulation.
Whereas the mandate of the IMO doesn’t lengthen to gas manufacturing and provide chains, any GHG laws developed by the IMO have to take into consideration upstream, or so referred to as Nicely-to-Tank emissions. In different phrases, laws should be based mostly on a full lifecycle, Nicely-to-Wake, strategy.
Lastly, in addressing GHG emissions, the IMO ought to proceed with its present strategy and resist selecting expertise ‘winners’. Laws must be aim based mostly and expertise impartial and coherence must be sought with the Match for 55 package deal of laws presently being developed underneath the European Inexperienced Deal. The maritime sector can’t danger the emergence of a fragmented patchwork of world and regional laws which may create confusion, conflicting incentives and in the end, delay.
Peter Keller, Chairman, SEA-LNG, mentioned: “Delivery is unlikely to realize its decarbonisation targets and not using a basket of fuels. Conducting complete Nicely-to-Wake evaluation is the one option to precisely examine the viability of all marine fuels.”
