Press release
International research consortium launches FUMES 2 to further quantify methane emissions from LNG shipping
Targets include two-stroke LNG engines, LNG carriers, and LNG cargo handling operations
(Washington, DC) 12 December 2024 — The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) announces the launch of FUMES 2 (Fugitive and Unburned Methane Emissions from Ships Part 2), an expanded follow-up to the groundbreaking FUMES study measuring methane emissions from ships fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) under real-world conditions. This two-year research initiative brings together an international consortium including Explicit ApS, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), Queen Mary University of London, and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS).
Building on the successful quantification of methane slip from four-stroke marine engines in the first FUMES project, FUMES 2 will address critical knowledge gaps in understanding methane emissions from LNG engines, LNG carrier ships, and LNG cargo handling. The project comes at a crucial time as the use of LNG as a marine fuel continues to grow, and as the global LNG carrier fleet has nearly doubled from 400 ships in 2014 to more than 750 today, with an additional 300 vessels on order.
“With the rapid growth of LNG shipping, understanding the full scope of methane emissions is increasingly important for climate policy,” said Dr. Bryan Comer, Marine Program Director at the ICCT. “FUMES 2 will generate the most comprehensive dataset yet of real-world methane emissions from using and transporting LNG.”
The two-year project will employ a combination of innovative methane measurement techniques, including:
- Onboard measurements of methane slip from at least 5 engines, focusing on two-stroke engines
- Onboard measurements of fugitive methane emissions from fuel tanks, cargo tanks, and other sources during at least 5 voyages
- Drone-based measurements of methane emissions from at least 20 instances of LNG cargo handling operations
This research is timely as the European Union (EU) prepares to implement its FuelEU Maritime regulation in 2025, and as it incorporates shipping into its Emissions Trading System, with methane emissions set to be covered starting in 2026. Additionally, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is finalizing its own greenhouse gas fuel standard and economic measure, which are both expected to be implemented in 2027.
The project’s findings will be published in peer-reviewed publications, a public report, and a public presentation. Moreover, findings will be presented to IMO and EU policymakers throughout the project to inform ongoing policy decisions.
Download a two-page description of the project here.
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Media contact
Sophie Ehmsen, communications@theicct.org
About the Project Partners:
International Council on Clean Transportation
The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) is an independent research organization providing first-rate, unbiased research and technical and scientific analysis to environmental regulators. Our mission is to improve the environmental performance and energy efficiency of road, marine, and air transportation, in order to benefit public health and mitigate climate change. Founded in 2001, we are a nonprofit organization working under grants and contracts from private foundations and public institutions.
Find us at:
www.theicct.org
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TNO
TNO is the largest independent research and technology organization in the Netherlands and one of the largest in the EU. We innovate, investigate, and orchestrate, collaborating closely with governments, universities and the private sector. We inform government on policies and empower evidence-based decision-making through rigorous investigations, cutting-edge scientific insights, and reliable measurements. By building national and international consortia and ecosystems, we drive technological and methodological breakthroughs that help to realise a secure, sustainable, healthy, and digital society, and strengthen the earning power of the Dutch economy.
https://www.tno.nl/en/
Explicit ApS
Explicit is a Danish technology company specialising in emissions monitoring using UAV technology. Accredited under ISO/IEC 17025, Explicit offers aerial surveys, verification, and expertise to industry, researchers, and authorities looking to understand the source and quantity of fugitive emissions, advance climate and environmental regulation, and document compliance. Servicing both the energy and maritime industries, the company has more than 10 years track record measuring fugitive and maritime emissions.
www.explicit.dk
Queen Mary University of London
At Queen Mary University of London, we believe that a diversity of ideas helps us achieve the previously unthinkable. Throughout our history, we’ve fostered social justice and improved lives through academic excellence. And we continue to live and breathe this spirit today, not because it’s simply ‘the right thing to do’ but for what it helps us achieve and the intellectual brilliance it delivers. Our reformer heritage informs our conviction that great ideas can and should come from anywhere. It’s an approach that has brought results across the globe, from the communities of east London to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. We continue to embrace diversity of thought and opinion in everything we do, in the belief that when views collide, disciplines interact, and perspectives intersect, truly original thought takes form.
www.qmul.ac.uk
Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
The Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) is an independent, not-for-profit research and development center established in 2020 with funding from the A.P. Moller Foundation. Our purpose is to guide and accelerate decarbonization of the global maritime industry. This complex challenge requires unprecedented collaboration across sectors, industries, and geographies. Working with our partners, governments, authorities, public sector bodies, scientists, and organizations across the global maritime industry we mature solutions to the most pressing problems across the maritime value chain, from fuels to onboard solutions, regulations, and financing.
https://www.zerocarbonshipping.com/
