Excerpts of a note published 3/16/2017 in Ship & Bunker. Jan De Nul Group (Jan De Nul) Wednesday suggested the use of HFO in combination with exhaust gas scrubbers could have fewer environmental and operational downsides than the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as marine fuel.
“LNG is being promoted as an environmental-friendly fuel. It has a number of advantages: for the same power less greenhouse gas CO2 is emitted, and emissions of some contaminants such as NOx, SOx, Particulate Matter are lower compared to a diesel engine on fuel oil, without exhaust gas treatment system,” says Jan De Nul.
“However, the same or even better results are achieved by using exhaust gas treatment, and the important environmental and operational downsides of LNG are avoided.”
Jan De Nul says methane leakages, which can occur during production, transport, and bunkering, as well as methane slip in dual fuel engines are significant.
“Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas: over a 100 year period, the effect of methane on global warming is 34 times higher than the same amount of CO2. As a result, most studies conclude that with current technology, LNG as a fuel is not better, and in most cases worse than fuel oil with respect to global warming,” says Jan De Nul.
Jan De Nul cites the poor availability of LNG, as well as space and cost restrictions, as further reason why the company has gravitated to the use of HFO in combination with scrubbers.
“The same or even better results are achieved by using exhaust gas treatment.” Jan De Nul.
The comments came as part of an announcement that the company has ordered three 3,500 m3 Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers, all of which will operate on fuel oil and be equipped with exhaust gas treatment systems, including a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).
Full article at Ship & Bunker
