Alfa Laval technology to reduce methane slip

Swedish marine technology firm Alfa Laval has launched a system to reduce methane emissions from LNG-powered ships.

"Our new Alfa Laval PureCool system not only helps in the reduction of methane slip but also enables fuel savings which makes it a good solution for both our customers and the environment," president of Alfa Laval's marine division Sameer Kalra said.

PureCool has been developed to work alongside German engine maker WinGD's iCER technology.

When LNG is burned in a ship engine, it releases less carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels. But a small amount of unburned methane is released, known as methane slip. Methane is a significantly more damaging greenhouse gas (GHG) than carbon dioxide. As a result, LNG is seen by some as a transition fuel before the shipping sector fully takes up non-fossil marine fuels.

"As LNG is an important bridge fuel in the transition to a zero-carbon future, we need to mitigate the negative environmental consequences of this fuel as far as possible," Kalra said.

Maritime classification society the American Bureau of Shipping expects LNG to make up just under 10pc of global bunker fuel consumption in 2050.

Alfa Laval is the world's second-biggest maker of exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers, according to shipping classification society DNV GL. It has installed 547 scrubbers to date, compared with Finnish firm Wartsila's 561.

By George Collard