EU funds project tackling methane slip from marine engines

Methane being a significantly damaging greenhouse gas, the problem of methane slip from marine engines is seen as one of the biggest challenges to the wider uptake of LNG as a marine fuel.

Now a consortium that includes Wärtsilä has secured European Union funding to develop solutions minimizing methane slip from marine engines.

Called the Green Ray project, it brings together several companies from across the shipping value chain. In addition to Wärtsilä, members include shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique, ship owner CMA CGA, classification society DNV GL, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, ship manager MSC Cruises Management, non-profit organization Revolve Water and energy major Shell.

The project will develop on-engine technologies for low-pressure dual-fuel engines – both two- and four-stroke – as well as a novel aftertreatment concept developed by Shell. The project aims to advance these solutions to a high state of technology readiness, including demonstrators installed on two newbuilds and one retrofitted to an existing vessel.

All the technologies developed will also be fully capable of utilization with bio- or synthetic methane as well as fossil LNG.

Wärtsilä will develop technology specifically for low pressure four-stroke dual fuel engines that enables methane slip reduction, increases efficiency and lower operational costs at all engine loads. This technology targets the largest four-stroke engines on the market as widely used by cruise ships, ferries and gas carriers.

Targeting methane slip from tankers, containerships, and other larger vessels, Wärtsilä will also develop an on-engine technology for two-stroke engines centered on a patented LNG injection system.

Both technologies will be demonstrated at sea in real application during the project in collaboration with the Green Ray partners.

“Methane slip has become an important factor in ship owners’ decisions about whether to use LNG fuel,” said 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 tested and scaled up to a field demonstration, where it was proven to be effective not only in significantly reducing methane slip (over 90%), but also in handling typical compounds that can degrade the catalyst, via the inclusion of a guard bed.

“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 gas processing and conversion technology 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,” said Sebastiaan Bleuanus, general manager, research 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 project has received funding of around €7 million (about $7.4 million) from Horizon Europe. It will run until 2027.