FUGITIVE AND UNBURNED METHANE EMISSIONS FROM SHIPS (FUMES)

22 July 2024

The use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel is rapidly growing, doubling
from 2.2 million tonnes (Mt) in 2018 to 4.4 Mt in 2022 for ships reporting to the
European Union Monitoring Reporting and Verification system. Prior to this, the Fourth
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Greenhouse Gas Study estimated that
global LNG marine fuel consumption grew 30% between 2012 and 2018, resulting in
an estimated 150% increase in methane (CH4)1 emissions. However, these estimates are
uncertain because they rely on emission factors developed from only a few studies that
used a mix of laboratory measurements of marine engines, including those provided by
the engine manufacturers themselves, and onboard measurements of a few ships. More
data are needed to understand the actual methane emissions from LNG-fueled ships
under real-world conditions.

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