Testing is underway for a new onboard system aimed at reducing methane slip on an operational LNG bunker vessel. Methane emissions pose significant environmental challenges, as they are potent greenhouse gases. The LNG industry claims that modern marine engines are more effective in curbing these emissions, while researchers are also developing technologies to mitigate them.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Marine Machinery & Equipment Co. has collaborated with Daihatsu Infinearth Mfg. Co. to create a methane oxidation catalyst system. Initial tests onshore indicated a methane oxidation rate of over 70%. The next phase involves installing the system on the KEYS Azalea, a 2,352 dwt LNG bunkering vessel, which began testing in May 2024 after its first bunkering in Hiroshima.
The catalyst system works by oxidizing methane in exhaust gases from marine engines, converting it into carbon dioxide and water through a chemical reaction with oxygen. This demonstration testing will continue for the next year as part of MHI Group’s strategy to enhance its energy transition business and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from marine vessels, contributing to global decarbonization efforts.
