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August 2023

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Editorial comment

Wildfires across Southern Europe and the Mediterranean have been dominating the news recently, with thousands of tourists and residents being evacuated and tragic reports of more than 40 deaths in Algeria, Italy, and Greece.1

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There have also been extremely high temperatures in China and Southwestern USA. Meanwhile, the UK (for the most part) has had fairly mild weathers and periodic rain. A team of climate scientists – the World Weather Attribution group – said the intense heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-induced climate change.1

It is clear that climate change is an ever-increasing problem, and that steps must be made to try and reduce our impact on the world.
One change that could help contribute to this goal is the use of LNG as an alternative fuel. LNG as a marine fuel has become more popular in recent years, due to emitting approximately 25% less carbon dioxide than conventional marine fuels while providing the same amount of propulsion power.2

While there are obvious downsides, such as its significant methane emissions, the industry is working to find ways to reduce, or maybe even remove, the associated emissions. For example, the European Commission has recently signed a joint statement alongside global partners, which reinforces continued efforts towards the reduction of methane emissions arising across the total value chain of LNG.3 LNG could prove a viable step in the transition to zero emission fuels.

Another way the industry can reduce their emissions is through the use of bio-LNG. Gasum recently opened a new gas filling station in Sweden,4 as well as recently acquiring a majority ownership in Liquidgas Biofuel Genesis AB, which owns and operates a biogas upgrading plant in Sweden.5 Gasum intends to investigate the possibility of liquefying the gas on site at some point in the future.

This issue also includes articles touching on this topic, such as that by KBC, which describes how advanced technology can propel decarbonisation and efficiency within the industry.

In addition, Saipem looks at technical challenges and solutions associated with emissions reductions and natural gas contaminants removal for a floating LNG facility. Floating LNG is proving popular in Europe, as the continent tries to move away from its dependence on Russian oil and gas to an independent energy supply, as well as potentially offering a more environmentally-sensitive way to develop natural gas resources.

TGE Marine’s article discusses how LNG shipping can reduce boil-off gas rates, both by reducing the generation and by reusing it as a fuel itself. The industry’s drive to decarbonise is also starting to shape the containment systems on LNG carriers.

You can pick up a copy of the August issue of LNG Industry at Offshore Europe, which will host an Energy Transition Theatre featuring insights and technologies to help the industry transition to a lower carbon economy, and an Energy Transition Zone, located on the exhibition floor, for operators, service, and technology companies preparing the oil and gas sector for a lower-carbon future, and the 24th World Petroleum Congress, which will have a net-zero approach.

  1. ‘Deadly Mediterranean wildfires kill more than 40’, BBC News, (26 July 2023), www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66308728
  2. PAVLENKO, N., CORNER, B., ZHOU, Y., CLARK, N., and RUTHERFORD, D., ‘The climate implications of using LNG as a marine fuel’, The International Council on Clean Transportation, (28 January 2020), https://theicct.org/publication/the-climate-implications-of-using-lng-as-a-marine-fuel
  3. ‘EU and global partners reaffirm their commitment to tackling methane emissions from the natural gas value chain’, European Commission, (18 July 2023), https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-and-global-partners-reaffirm-their-commitment-tackling-methane-emissions-natural-gas-value-chain-2023-07-18_en
  4. ‘Gasum opens new gas filling station in Växjö, Sweden’, Gasum, (3 July 2023), www.gasum.com/en/About-gasum/for-the-media/News/2023/gasum-opens-new-gas-filling-station-in-vaxjo-sweden
  5. ‘Gasum acquires majority ownership in Swedish biogas upgrading company Liquidgas Biofuel Genesis AB’, Gasum, (7 July 2023), www.gasum.com/en/About-gasum/for-the-media/News/2023/gasum-acquires-majority-ownership-in-swedish-biogas-upgrading-company-liquidgas-biofuel-genesis-ab

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