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Burning liquified natural gas produces a significant amount of emissions

Burning liquefied natural gas (LNG) produces a significant amount of emissions, contributing to environmental and climate challenges. Although LNG is often promoted as a cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels such as coal and oil, it still generates substantial quantities of carbon dioxide when combusted — cutting emissions by less than half compared to bunker fuels.1 Moreover, the production and transportation of LNG often cause methane leaks.2 A 2024 study from the International Council on Clean Transportation found that methane leaks from LNG-powered ships averaged around 6.4%.3

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Footnotes​

  1. Al‐Douri, A., Alsuhaibani, A. S., Moore, M., Nielsen, R. B., El‐Baz, A. A., & El‐Halwagi, M. M. (2022). Greenhouse gases emissions in liquified natural gas as a marine fuel: Life cycle analysis and reduction potential. The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 100(6), 1178-1186. ↩

  2. Comer, B., Beecken, J., Vermeulen, R., Sturrup, E., Paschinger, P., Osipova, L., Gore, K., Delahaye, A., Verhagen, V., Knudsen, B., Knudsen, J., & Verbeek, R. (2024, January 25). Fugitive and Unburned Methane Emissions from Ships (FUMES): Characterizing methane emissions from LNG-fueled ships using drones, helicopters, and on-board measurements. International Council on Clean Transportation. https://theicct.org/publication/fumes-characterizing-methane-emissions-from-lng-fueled-ships-using-drones-helicopters-and-on-board-measurements-jan24/ ↩

  3. Ibid. ↩