Economic incentives and technological limitations govern environmental impact of LNG feeder vessels

Journal article, 2023

In the transition to sustainable shipping, Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), is proposed to play a role, reducing emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. However, LNG is a fossil fuel and there is an ongoing discussion regarding the extent of methane slip from ships operating on LNG, challenging the assumptions of LNG as a sustainable solution. Here we show another aspect to consider in the environmental assessment of shipping; LNG feeder vessels may spend as much as 25% of their time at sea just running the ship to ensure the pressure in the tanks are not exceeded, i.e., run time not directly attributed to the shipment of gas from one port or ship, to another. In other words, the economic incentives are currently allowing for roughly 32% increase of the ships’ operational emissions and discharges and increased navigational risks. Most coastal areas are heavily affected by anthropogenic activities and e.g., in the Baltic Sea there is consensus among the HELCOM member states that the input of nutrient and hazardous substances must be reduced. Even if the LNG feeder vessels are currently few, the possibility to reduce their environmental impact by 32% should be an attractive opportunity for future policy measures and investigation of technological solutions of the problem.