7 new members join methane busting initiative

Seven new members have joined the Methane Abatement in Maritime Innovation Initiative (MAMII), launched in September 2022.

New members of the Methane Abatement in Maritime Innovation Initiative (MAMII) include CoolCo, United Overseas Management, Capital Gas, Celsius Tankers, Global Meridian Holdings, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and TMS Cardiff Gas. The new members were announced at Lloyd’s Register LNG Forum event in Doha, Qatar.

Led by Safetytech Accelerator, MAMII’s current members include Maran Gas Maritime, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Carnival Corporation & Plc, Seaspan Corporation, Shell, Lloyd’s Register and Knutsen Group.

MAMII was formed to identify, accelerate and advocate technology solutions for the maritime industry to measure and manage methane emissions activity. In doing so, it aims to minimise the environmental impact of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in shipping, whilst aiding the transition to future fuel solutions.

In its first six months, MAMII has already mapped the LNG fuel landscape from the well to the ship, identified key measurements required, and has identified a range of potential new technology for measurement onboard ships.

The progress of MAMII comes at a time when methane abatement initiatives are gaining traction globally, such as the Green Ray project which recently won funding from the European Union.

“We are looking forward to the next few months when we move from analysis and research into piloting new methane measurement technology on ships. Measuring actual emissions is a critical step in the decarbonization of the shipping journey,” Steve Price, Head of Partnerships at Safetytech Accelerator, said.

“The doubling of MAMII’s membership in the six months since its launch is a sign of the maritime industry’s commitment to addressing methane emissions. It also indicates the important role of technology in measuring and managing methane emissions activity,” Panos Mitrou, Global Gas Director at Lloyd’s Register, said.

“We are convinced that MAMII will play a critical role in enhancing the information flow and adding to the tools needed to measure methane releases by LNG-fuelled ships, and taking actions in order to mitigate these and cement the position of LNG, as well as synthetic LNG in the future as an alternative green fuel for the next decades,” George Kourelis, General Manager at TMS Cardiff Gas, said.

LNG has long been understood by the shipping industry as a bridging fuel to support its decarbonisation efforts – with campaign groups forecasting that over two-thirds of new ships will be powered by LNG by 2025. Since 2010 the number of vessels fuelled by LNG has grown consistently by 20-40% per annum, data from SEA LNG shows.

Compared to traditional marine fuels, LNG is widely understood to generate less carbon dioxide (CO2), and emit less Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulphur Dioxide (Sox), and Particulate Matter, for the same propulsion power.

However, the environmental benefits of using LNG have been questioned due to the propensity of LNG-vessels to leak unburned methane through the combustion process, as insisted by Transport & Environment NGO.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, estimated to have a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 27-30 over 100 years, while CO2 has a GWP of 1 regardless of time period used.