The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has launched FUMES 2 (Fugitive and Unburned Methane Emissions from Ships Part 2), an expanded follow-up to the FUMES study.
This study is aimed at measuring methane emissions from LNG fuelled ships under real conditions.
The two-year research project brings together an international consortium, which includes Explicit ApS, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Queen Mary University of London, and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS).
Building on the successful quantification of methane slip from 4-stroke marine engines in the first FUMES project, FUMES 2 will address knowledge gaps in understanding methane emissions from LNG powered engines, LNGCs and LNG cargo handling systems.
The project comes at a crucial time as the use of LNG as a marine fuel continues to grow, and as the global LNGC fleet has nearly doubled from 400 ships in 2014 to more than 750 today, with an additional 300 vessels on order, ICCT said.
“With the rapid growth of LNG shipping, understanding the full scope of methane emissions is increasingly important for climate policy,” said Dr Bryan Comer, ICCT’s Marine Programme Director. “FUMES 2 will generate the most comprehensive data set yet of real-world methane emissions from using and transporting LNG.”
The two-year project will employ a combination of methane measurement techniques, including:
• On board measurements of methane slip from at least five engines, focusing on 2-stroke engines.
• On board measurements of fugitive methane emissions from fuel tanks, cargo tanks, and other sources during at least five voyages.
• Drone-based measurements of methane emissions from at least 20 instances of LNG cargo handling operations.
This research was said to be timely, as the European Union (EU) prepares to implement its FuelEU Maritime regulation next year, and as it incorporates shipping into its Emissions Trading System (ETS), with methane emissions set to be covered starting in 2026.
In addition, the IMO is finalising its own greenhouse gas fuel standard and economic measure, which are both expected to be implemented in 2027.
The project’s findings will be published in peer-reviewed publications, a public report, and with a public presentation.
Moreover, the findings will be presented to IMO and EU policymakers throughout the project to inform ongoing policy decisions, the ICCT explained.
