Factsheet: Why e-LNG (e-methane) is not a viable solution for maritime shipping
e-LNG (e-methane) is promoted as a clean alternative to fossil LNG, but significant challenges make it unsuitable for achieving climate goals. The energy demands for its production and the associated methane emissions render it inefficient and environmentally harmful.
What is e-LNG?
- e-LNG is a synthetic fuel created by combining hydrogen—separated from a water molecule using electricity—with CO2, which is captured from industrial processes, directly from the air, or biological origins like crops.
- It is chemically similar to fossil LNG but is promoted as being carbon-neutral, provided that the hydrogen is produced from renewable electricity and all CO2 is captured from the atmosphere beforehand or recaptured in a closed-loop system.
- e-LNG could use the same marine engines as fossil LNG, which creates potential for its use in existing LNG infrastructure.
- Today’s e-LNG uses CO2 from biological sources, making it technically a biofuel rather than a pure e-fuel.
Even if 100% renewable electricity were used to produce e-LNG, emissions could still be 6% higher in 2030 due to these leaks.
Greenhouse gas emissions are still a problem:
- The burning of e-LNG releases huge amounts of CO2.
- e-LNG still emits methane—a potent greenhouse gas—throughout its production, transport, and combustion phases.
- Methane leakage from fuel tanks and engines, combined with methane slip (unburned methane released from engines), remains a serious issue.
Energy consumption for production is very high:
- The production of e-LNG demands a substantial amount of electricity, far more than other fuel alternatives like direct electricity or hydrogen.
- For each unit of energy delivered to move the ship, 6-7 units of renewable electricity are needed to produce e-LNG.
- In terms of energy use, e-LNG is highly inefficient, putting strain on already limited renewable energy resources.
- e-LNG must be liquified and pressurized or cooled for the entire supply chain. This process consumes energy and bears the risk of spill due to a constant boil-off needed when it is stored in tanks.
Unrealistic assumptions are dominating the e-LNG narrative:
- The industry promotes e-LNG based on future scenarios where renewable energy is abundant and closed-loop systems are in place. This is not the reality today.
- Existing renewable energy infrastructure is insufficient to support the large-scale production of e-LNG. Scaling up to meet global shipping demand requires enormous investment and expansion of renewable energy sources.
- Direct Air Capture technology is not mature today for any scalable production of climate-neutral e-LNG.
Cost and scalability in reality remain a huge challenge:
- The cost of producing e-LNG is high due to the massive amounts of electricity and infrastructure required. Scaling production to a commercial level requires significant investments in new facilities, increasing the cost for ship operators.
- Transitioning to e-LNG would increase costs for shipping companies by 2-3 times compared to conventional fuels, making it an economically unfeasible option for most.
Despite its promise as a green alternative, e-LNG is not a viable solution for decarbonizing the maritime industry. Its high energy consumption, reliance on unproven renewable infrastructure, and methane emissions make it a poor fit for achieving climate targets.
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