Methane being a significantly damaging greenhouse gas, the issue of methane slip from marine engines is seen as one of many greatest challenges to the broader uptake of LNG as a marine gasoline.
Now a consortium that features Wärtsilä has secured European Union funding to develop options minimizing methane slip from marine engines.
Called the Green Ray venture, it brings collectively a number of firms from throughout the delivery worth chain. In addition to Wärtsilä, members embrace shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique, ship proprietor CMA CGA, classification society DNV GL, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, ship supervisor MSC Cruises Management, non-profit group Revolve Water and power main Shell.
The venture will develop on-engine applied sciences for low-pressure dual-fuel engines – each two- and four-stroke – in addition to a novel aftertreatment idea developed by Shell. The venture goals to advance these options to a excessive state of expertise readiness, together with demonstrators put in on two newbuilds and one retrofitted to an current vessel.
All the applied sciences developed may also be absolutely able to utilization with bio- or artificial methane in addition to fossil LNG.
Wärtsilä will develop technology specifically for low pressure four-stroke dual fuel engines that permits methane slip discount, will increase effectivity and decrease operational prices in any respect engine hundreds. This expertise targets the biggest four-stroke engines available on the market as broadly utilized by cruise ships, ferries and gasoline carriers.
Targeting methane slip from tankers, containerships, and different bigger vessels, Wärtsilä may also develop an on-engine expertise for two-stroke engines centered on a patented LNG injection system.
Both applied sciences shall be demonstrated at sea in actual software in the course of the venture in collaboration with the Green Ray companions.
“Methane slip has become an important factor in ship owners’ decisions about whether to use LNG fuel,” mentioned Kati Lehtoranta, principal scientist, VTT. “With these promising technologies we aim to reduce the slip contributing directly to reduction of the total greenhouse gas emissions, opening this pathway to even wider segment of the maritime market.”
CATALYST SYSTEM
Shell has developed a proprietary methane abatement catalyst system that has been lab examined and scaled as much as a discipline demonstration, the place it was confirmed to be efficient not solely in considerably decreasing methane slip (over 90%), but in addition in dealing with typical compounds that may degrade the catalyst, through the inclusion of a guard mattress.
“Shell’s climate ambition to become a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 will require us to explore a range of avenues that have the potential to help us, our partners, and customers to decarbonize the existing LNG value chain. We are continuously working to improve the value proposition of LNG through dedicated technology research, and we are keen to develop potential solutions to minimise methane slip at such a relevant project as Green Ray,” says Alexander Boekhorst, VP gasoline processing and conversion expertise at Shell.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
“This research will allow us to build on the continuous improvements made in reducing methane slip from marine engines over the past twenty years,” mentioned Sebastiaan Bleuanus, normal supervisor, analysis coordination & funding, Wärtsilä Marine Power. “Taking these solutions for newbuilds and retrofits to near commercial readiness will be an important step for the long-term viability of LNG as a marine fuel.”
The Green Ray venture has acquired funding of round €7 million (about $7.4 million) from Horizon Europe. It will run till 2027.
