Wärtsilä in Coalition to Promote LNG as a Marine Fuel

Wärtsilä and other leading marine industry players have formed a coalition, known as SEA/LNG, to accelerate the widespread adoption of LNG as a marine fuel. The coalition aims to help break down the barriers hindering the global development of LNG in marine applications, thereby improving the environmental performance of the shipping industry.

In addition to Wärtsilä, the other partners in the SEA/LNG coalition include Carnival Corporation, DNV-GL, ENGIE, ENN Group, GE Marine, GTT, Lloyds Register, Mitsubishi, NYK Line, Port of Rotterdam, Qatargas, Shell Downstream and Tote. Each member organization commits mutually agreed human resources, data analysis, and knowledge sharing in support of the SEA/LNG initiatives and activities.

“We recognize the need to work closely with key players across the value chain, including shipping companies, classification societies, ports, major LNG suppliers, downstream companies, infrastructure providers and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to ensure an understanding of the environmental and performance benefits of LNG as a marine transport fuel,” said Peter Keller, chairman of SEA\LNG and executive vice president of TOTE Inc. “SEA\LNG aims to address market barriers and help transform the use of LNG as a marine fuel into a global reality.”

LNG offers significant environmental advantages for shipping compared to heavy fuel oil (HFO), which remains the predominant fuel used today. By comparison with HFO, NOx emissions are cut by approximately 85 percent, SOx emissions are almost completely eliminated since natural gas contains no sulphur, and particle production is practically non-existent, thanks to the efficient combustion of natural gas, a fuel with almost no residuals.

The main areas of focus for the coalition include supporting the development of LNG bunkering in major ports, educating stakeholders as to the risks and opportunities in the use of LNG fuel, and developing globally consistent regulations for cleaner shipping fuels.