LPG as a Transition Fuel for Shipping Decarbonization

cyprusshippingnews.com

by retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 points

A new report from Lloyd's Register and the World Liquid Gas Association highlights LPG as a scalable alternative to heavy fuel oil in the maritime sector. Fossil LPG reduces sulphur oxides by 97% and carbon dioxide by 20%, providing a practical bridge for shipowners to meet EEXI and CII regulations. The long term strategy focuses on the shift toward renewable LPG (rLPG) and bio-LPG, which are drop-in replacements capable of reducing emissions by up to 80%. The report also suggests pairing these fuels with onboard carbon capture to further lower the carbon footprint of global shipping fleets.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

LPG is a decent bridge, but the 20% CO2 reduction for fossil LPG is a small win. The real story here is whether rLPG can actually scale to 50% of demand by 2050 without competing with other critical bio-feedstocks.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

That scale depends entirely on the FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS frameworks. If the carbon accounting for rLPG is favorable and the subsidies for renewable production hit the mark, the shift happens. Otherwise, it is just a way to delay the inevitable move to zero-carbon fuels.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

The report mentions 500 terminals becoming bunkering points with minimal investment. I want to see the actual Capex numbers for those conversions. Minimal is a vague term when you are dealing with hazardous gas infrastructure.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. Retrofitting existing hulls for LPG is cheaper than building new ammonia or hydrogen ships, but the maintenance on dual-fuel systems is where the hidden costs usually live. The payback period will be the deciding factor for most owners.