Monday, October 24, 7:30 a.m. The France Inter newspaper announces: “It will be the liner that will emit the least CO2 in the world, per passenger and per day. The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) liner will be delivered today to its owner”. MSC World Europe is the first LNG liner built in France, at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire. With France Bleu, the boss of the Chantiers Laurent Castaing applauds the news: “In total, the MSC World Europa has reduced its CO2 emissions by 40%. He even congratulates “the reduction in the environmental impact of ocean liners”.
His cousin, named Icon of the seas will set sail in 2024. Managed by the Royal Caribbean company, the one that will become “the largest ocean liner in the world” will also run on LNG. As for the MSC World Europe, Icon of the Seas is shown as an advance in ecological matters, in particular for its “clean marine fuel”. But is liquefied natural gas really as clean as its promoters claim?
FAKE OFF
First of all, it is difficult to imagine that a cruise ship can be considered ecological. By definition, this type of tourism has a considerable impact on the environment. In 2017, the international leader Carnival Corporation, for example, emitted ten times more sulfur oxide than all the cars in the European fleet. To reduce their ecological footprint, maritime transport manufacturers have opted for liquefied natural gas (LNG). Its merit? Reducing air pollution, one of the major problems of these liners.
To better understand, we must first return to its production. “Liquefied natural gas is natural gas that cools down to liquid form. This means that it occupies a volume 600 times less than its volume in the gaseous state. This makes it possible to transport this gas in large quantities in smaller tanks, ”explains Vincent Demoury, general delegate of GIIGNL (International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers).
An advantage, but…
Its defenders will highlight its positive interest in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “It emits few atmospheric pollutants because it emits almost no sulphur, no particles. This is an advantage in terms of air quality, especially in port cities,” says Vincent Demoury. According to the NGO Transport & Environment, the technology makes it possible to reduce almost all sulfur oxide emissions and substantially reduces those of nitrogen oxides and fine particles. “It is also an energy that is already certified and available. So it’s easy for manufacturers to turn to this solution,” adds Fanny Pointet, responsible for sustainable transport issues.
However, all is not all rosy, nor all green, for liquefied natural gas. “The climate balance is not as good as its users say. It is a fossil fuel, therefore emitting CO2”, sums up Fanny Pointet. If for its part, the pro-LNG put forward a gain of “around 6 and 23% over the entire life cycle”, Transport & Environment disputes this figure because of the existence of methane leaks . “This problem exists throughout the value chain, from the extraction of the gas to its combustion in the ship”, worries Fanny Pointet.
“80 times more powerful than CO2”
Methane leaks can occur, for example, during the transport of natural gas or during its liquefaction, as well as in the propulsion of ships. If Transport & Environment admits that manufacturers are working on the problem [ce que Vincent Demoury confirme], the NGO is concerned about the exponential number of maritime transport equipping itself with LNG. “The more the fleet of LNG ships increases, the more methane emissions will grow”, predicts Fanny Pointet, who adds: “Methane is a greenhouse gas 80 times more powerful than CO2, on a twenty-year scale. . The climate balance of LNG is therefore disastrous and sometimes worse than the conventional fuels it replaces”. Moreover, LNG proves to be very energy-intensive at the time of its production when the gas is made liquid.
In the midst of the energy crisis, Transport & Environment is also wondering about the place of LNG granted to maritime transport. “Nonsense, according to Fanny Pointet. This risks creating additional tension and jeopardizing other uses of gas, such as household heating. By 2030, the NGO estimates that a quarter of the energy needs of maritime transport could be based on LNG. A figure that corresponds to the gas consumption of half of the households connected to the network in France, i.e. around 7 million gas-heated households.
In the future, Transport & Environment calls for more regulation of the sector. “We must make a global decarbonization effort and this requires the adoption of an ambitious legal framework, which sets objectives and obligations strong enough to trigger a transition”, asks Fanny Pointet.