Editorial comment
Fresh from the clocks going back in the UK, the evenings are darker, the weather’s getting wetter, and we’re well and truly past the hope of any final days of nice weather.
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Elsewhere, in the Middle East, Azerbaijan will be hoping for better weather as the capital, Baku, hosts COP29 later in November. Yet again, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will be dedicated to negotiating international climate policies, advancing climate action, and fostering global co-operation to achieve a sustainable and resilient future. No doubt, this year’s edition will look to build upon the frameworks set in previous years, including the ever-present Paris Agreement pledge to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
Among many others, the LNG industry too is focused on reducing its emissions and any negative impacts on the environment it may have. With an increase of nearly 50% in global LNG export capacity on the horizon, set to enter into operation over the period to 2030 (if delivered according to announced schedules), emissions management is key.1 A key concern for the industry is the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere; however, this has been recognised and there are efforts being made to help reduce or remove this threat.
For example, bio-LNG is picking up as a favourable alternative fuel as it can help avoid the methane slip – natural gas is composed of approximately 95% methane, whereas bio-LNG is composed of around 99.8% methane.2 In addition, although burning bio-LNG still releases carbon dioxide (CO2), this is part of the biogenic carbon cycle. In addition, any CO2 emissions that result from the energy consumption in the production process can be compensated by being captured and reused, making bio-LNG carbon neutral.2 The advantages of this fuel have been picked up by many well-known companies; Brittany Ferries and Asda are just two recent examples of this.3,4
Decarbonisation is also prominent among the articles in this issue: Dragon LNG provides insight into its Milford Haven CO2 project with RWE, which is integrating CO2 liquefaction with LNG regasification as well as operating a renewables park to increase the terminal’s energy independence and aid Dragon LNG’s broader ambition to achieve net zero on both Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
In addition, Tunable’s article looks at the urgent need for direct greenhouse gas emissions measurement in international shipping, and whether this is feasible given the challenges the industry is facing around this.
With 2030 getting increasingly closer, there is an ever-more present focus on achieving climate targets, in the LNG industry, for companies, governments, and beyond. Everyone will need to play their part to achieve this, but positive steps are being taken to try and make sure we are successful.
The World LNG Summit & Awards will also include a World Renewables Fuel Conference which, amongst other topics, will consider the potential of bio-energy and clean hydrogen. You can pick up a copy of this issue in Berlin from 9 –12 December 2024.
References
- World Energy Outlook 2024’, International Energy Agency, (October 2024), https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2024
- ‘What is bio-LNG and how is it made?’, Nordsol, (19 December 2023), https://nordsol.com/articles/what-is-bio-lng/
- ‘Repsol supplies bio-LNG to Brittany Ferries for the first time in Spain’, Repsol, (3 October 2024), https://www.repsol.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2024/repsol-supplies-bio-lng-brittany-ferries-for-first-time/index.cshtml
- ‘Asda invests in new bio-LNG refuelling stations’, Asda, (14 October 2024), https://corporate.asda.com/newsroom/2024/14/10/asda-invests-in-new-bio-lng-refuelling-stations
