A joint report from Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA) has found that the market for dual-fuel LPG engines will continue to grow based on a healthy orderbook, with LPG offering a cleaner, lower carbon emission marine energy source than many alternatives currently available.
According to the report, the use of LPG as a marine fuel combined with technology such as Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage (OCCS) can reduce a vessel’s emissions profile, with the added benefit of reducing the required CO2 storage capacity, due to the lower CO2 emissions from LPG combustion. This allows the technology to work more effectively and offers shipowners a pathway towards future regulatory compliance.
The report, however, outlines that technology readiness will need to improve for LPG to become a viable choice for shipowners and operators looking to transition their fleet to low and zero-carbon vessels. Although well established, the range of available engine technologies will need to be expanded to enable widespread adoption of LPG on multiple vessel types. Currently there is no four-stroke marine engine capable of using LPG, meaning auxiliary engines on vessels would need to be decarbonised through an additional fuel.
A safe bunkering framework must be also developed to encourage uptake of LPG. Regulations remain in their early stages, with interim guidelines recently published by IMO.