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T&E investigation uncovers ‘significant amounts’ of methane slip from DF LNG ships

About 80% of LNG burned today in shipping is in engines (low-pressure 4-Stroke) that have worse total GHG emissions than traditional engines running on dirty fuel oil.
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CMA CGM infrared methane 1

European clean transport NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) on Wednesday (13 April) said its investigation into ‘green’ liquid natural gas (LNG) ships has uncovered significant amounts of invisible methane being released into the atmosphere.

On a crisp Monday morning in the port of Rotterdam, the Ecodelta, a dredger boat, gets to work scraping the seabed, clearing the way for the gigantic cargo ships that pass through one of the world’s busiest ports.

The Ecodelta is part of a new trend for supposedly clean gas-powered ships. The names contain words like ‘eco’ and they are often painted green. But their green credentials end there.

Shipping is a huge source of carbon emissions and the switch to clean fuels is slow. Traditional marine (bunker) oil is the dirtiest fuel there is and shipping is responsible for roughly the same amount of global emissions as flying.

The shipping industry alongside oil and gas companies, and many European politicians are pushing for liquified natural gas (LNG) as a ‘clean’ alternative to traditional fuels.

On paper, LNG-powered ships emit less. There is no dark smog. But, invisible to the naked eye, they possess a dirty secret: methane. In fact, roughly 80% of Europe’s LNG used by ships today are worse for the climate than the fuels they replace, due to the release of this potent gas which is over 80 times more warming than carbon dioxide. 

A major problem is that across the gas supply chain, uncombusted methane leaks and slips into the atmosphere and it is warming the planet faster.

In a first investigation of its kind, T&E with support from hydrocarbons experts set out for sea to investigate methane slips from ships. 

The investigation revealed significant amounts of unburned methane being released into the atmosphere with alarming repercussions for the climate.

Eco delta PR image 1

These images show heat and gas emissions from the exhaust stack of ship engines. The bright light near the exhaust stack indicates a heat source. As the plume moves away from the heated exhaust stack, we are able to observe uncombusted hydrocarbon emissions.

Finding the invisible

T&E carried out the investigation on a clear November day at the port of Rotterdam – Europe’s largest.

Using a state of the art infrared camera with a special filter to detect hydrocarbon gases, the T&E team set out on a boat to track down known LNG ships in the area. 

According to an independent peer review of the images carried out by TCHD Consulting, an optical gas imaging consultancy, the images from the Ecodelta and a giant container ship from the French-based CMA CGM the Louvre are evidence that intense uncombusted hydrocarbon emissions were being released into the atmosphere.

While the bright red flames indicate the heat source, the plumes that trail off into the background are evidence of uncombusted hydrocarbon emissions. Though combustion of hydrocarbon gases may result in differing components, LNG typically contains over 90% methane. Therefore, hydrocarbon emissions seen in this investigation are primarily composed of methane. 

According to CMA CGM, its LNG ships enable a significant reduction in CO2 emissions per container,and the company is investing heavily in LNG. Its website claims, “LNG is the best solution currently available to reduce the environmental impact of shipping.” 

There is no mention in any of its communication of methane, or how much methane typically slips from its vessels. Either the company is guilty of blatant greenwashing, or, more worryingly, is unaware of the climate damage it is causing.

CMA CGM includes LNG on its website under ‘environmental services’ with statements like, “have a positive impact on public health and the environment with CLEANER ENERGY LNG”. There is no mention anywhere of methane emissions.

CMA CGM greenwashing

CMA CGM includes LNG on its website under ‘environmental services’ with statements like, “have a positive impact on public health and the environment with CLEANER ENERGY LNG”. There is no mention anywhere of methane emissions.

Europe’s dirty secret at sea: How the EU is promoting LNG

Shipowners commissioned more gas-fuelled vessels in 2021 than the four previous years combined, with LNG-powered ships promoted as a clean alternative to traditional fuels. 

Last year, the EU proposed carbon intensity targets for marine fuels which would force shipowners to move away from residual fuel oil, the most widely used shipping fuel today.

However, T&E has warned that without sustainability safeguards this will simply lock in LNG as the cheapest alternative. Recent T&E analysis shows that over two-thirds of new ships could be powered with LNG from 2025. This would raise the share of fossil LNG from an estimated 6% today to over one-fifth of all marine fuels in Europe by 2030, locking in fossil fuel use for decades.

Clean alternatives exist

LNG is a fossil fuel. It is not the solution to clean up one of the world’s dirtiest sectors. The immediate threat of climate change means we cannot put more warming gases into the atmosphere. 

To avoid this, the EU must adopt stricter greenhouse gas reduction targets for all ships arriving and departing from European ports, so that the sector achieves zero-emissions by 2050 at the latest.

Clean fuels do exist. Green hydrogen-based fuels can massively reduce shipping’s climate impact, but currently they are expensive. If policymakers set mandatory targets and incentives for these fuels now, it would stimulate supply and demand, and make them widely available at much lower costs. 

Fossil gas has no role to play in the future of green shipping. Europe must end its dirty secret at sea, now.

What is natural gas?

Natural gas/methane/LNG is a fossil fuel that is extracted from underground. It is mostly made of methane molecules, which create CO2 when fully combusted. Methane is far more potent than carbon dioxide but it stays in the atmosphere for a much shorter time. Methane is therefore 29.8 times more warming than CO2 over 100 years and 82.5 times more warming over 20 years, according to the IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report. 

Natural gas is “gaseous” under normal temperature and atmospheric pressure. To make its transportation and storage easier, it is often liquified under freezing temperatures, which creates liquified natural gas (LNG). Natural gas is used by many sectors, including by households for heating in boilers and cooking in kitchens, but also by power plants to produce electricity. Increasingly it is being used for shipping.

Why is methane so bad?

Leaks and slips occur throughout the natural gas supply chain. The use of LNG as a maritime fuel is particularly problematic because slips occur from ship engines. According to data from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), depending on the engine between 0.2% to over 3% of fossil gas slips from the combustion process and is released directly to the atmosphere. 

For this reason, about 80% of LNG that is burned today in shipping is in engines (low-pressure 4-Stroke) that have worse total greenhouse gas emissions than traditional engines running on dirty fuel oil. This is an estimation based on the fuel consumed by LNG-powered ships from the European data reporting system MRV, and fleet characteristics from shipowners’ order books.

Related: T&E: FuelEU Maritime policy lacks predictability for deployment of green e-fuels
Related: T&E: EU push to green shipping is positive but risks locking in fossil gas
Related: T&E: Still time to rectify ‘disastrous’ EU shipping policy
Related: LEAKED: EU’s supposedly ‘green’ shipping law will lock in fossil fuels, says T&E
Related: T&E: First gas-powered cruise ship is not ‘sustainable tourism’
Related: T&E: Batteries, hydrogen, ammonia answer for decarbonising shipping
Related: T&E: LNG marine fuel ‘as bad as’ traditional bunkers
Related: LNG marine fuel ‘an expensive distraction’, says T&E study
Related: T&E: ‘Time to dump the obsession with LNG’

 

Photo credit: Transport & Environment
Published: 14 April, 2022

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Methanol

World Fuel and partners complete first green methanol bunkering of car carrier in Shanghai

Operation involved the delivery of approximately 2,800 MT of green methanol to “Arctic Tern” via a ship-to-ship transfer using SIPG Energy’s dedicated methanol bunkering vessel “M/V Hai Gang Zhi Yuan”.
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World Fuel and partners complete first green methanol bunkering of car carrier in Shanghai

Marine fuel provider World Fuel on Tuesday (21 July) said it successfully completed the first green methanol bunkering of M/V Arctic Tern, with EUKOR Car Carriers and SIPG Energy at the Port of Shanghai. 

Arctic Tern is the first vessel in the new Shaper Class series of car carriers. 

The operation involved the delivery of approximately 2,800 MT of green methanol to Arctic Tern via a ship-to-ship transfer using SIPG Energy’s dedicated methanol bunkering vessel M/V Hai Gang Zhi Yuan, the largest vessel of its kind in operation. 

The bunkering operation was carried out at Haitong Terminal, Waigaoqiao Port Area, Shanghai Port, with cargo handling operations conducted simultaneously during bunkering.

This marks EUKOR Car Carriers’ first green methanol operation and the first time Arctic Tern has bunkered methanol since its delivery on 9 July. The operation marked the first bunkering at Shanghai Port of green methanol produced locally in Shanghai for an international PCTC operator. 

It also demonstrated the city’s integrated green methanol value chain, spanning local production, storage and bunkering, and established a replicable “Shanghai Model” for green methanol supply.

World Fuel arranged the supply and delivery of the fuel on behalf of EUKOR Car Carriers, working with SIPG Energy as the physical supplier at the Port of Shanghai.

The green methanol supplied was produced from municipal solid waste, ISCC-EU certified, and had a carbon intensity value below 25 gCO₂e/MJ.

Arctic Tern is the first of fourteen Shaper Class vessels ordered by Wallenius Wilhelmsen. With a capacity of 9,300 car equivalent units and methanol dual-fuel capability, the vessel will be operated by EUKOR Car Carriers, jointly owned by Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Hyundai Motor Group. Following her first green methanol bunkering, Arctic Tern will continue her maiden voyage from Asia to Europe.

Xavier Leroi, COO Shipping Services at Wallenius Wilhelmsen and CEO of EUKOR Car Carriers, said: “Completing Arctic Tern’s first green methanol bunkering shortly after delivery is a significant milestone towards our decarbonisation ambition for both EUKOR Car Carriers and Wallenius Wilhelmsen. It demonstrates how investments in next-generation vessel technology and fuel flexibility are being translated into real-world operations. 

“This achievement reflects the strong collaboration between all parties involved. Together, we have shown how partnerships across the maritime value chain can help make lower-emission fuels available and operationally viable at scale.”

Mark Tamsitt, SVP Global Marine Sales at World Fuel, said, “The first bunkering event with a new fuel is a significant moment for any shipowner, and our role is to make it as seamless as possible. By connecting EUKOR Car Carriers with SIPG Energy’s proven green methanol capability at the Port of Shanghai, we were able to deliver on reliable supply, fuel quality, and safe processes. As more of our customers bring methanol dual-fuel tonnage into service, we are committed to being the partner that makes these kinds of operations routine.”

Mr. Zhang Da, General Manager of SIPG Energy, said, “Welcoming Arctic Tern to the Port of Shanghai for her first green methanol bunkering demonstrates the strength and maturity of our supply capability. Building on our well-established methanol ship-to-ship bunkering services for container vessels, we have already extended such services to pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs). This bunkering sets a new record for the largest single SIMOPs green methanol bunkering for PCTCs in China, marking another step in building Shanghai’s position as a global green energy hub for international shipping.”

This operation follows Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s announcement on 9 July that Arctic Tern would complete her first methanol bunkering shortly after delivery. The vessel entered service on routes between Asia and Europe immediately following handover from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing.

 

Photo credit: World Fuel
Published: 22 July, 2026

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Ammonia

HPA and MB Energy develop safety concept for STS ammonia bunkering

HPA says the Port of Hamburg will become “bunker ready” for ammonia, laying the groundwork for safe and reliable ammonia bunkering in the future.
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HPA and MB Energy develop safety concept for STS ammonia bunkering

The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and integrated energy company MB Energy on Tuesday (21 July) said they have completed a comprehensive risk analysis and developed a dedicated safety concept for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering.

MB Energy said the analysis lays the groundwork for the safe introduction of ammonia as a future marine fuel.

“With our planned ammonia import terminal in Hamburg-Blumensand, MB Energy intends to provide the reliable land side supply infrastructure needed to support this transition across northern German ports,” it said in a social media post. 

Mabanaft Group was renamed to MB Energy last year and merged over 50 existing brands under one identity. 

Separately, HPA said the Port of Hamburg will become “bunker ready” for ammonia, laying the groundwork for safe and reliable ammonia bunkering in the future.

“The focus is in particular on container ships, cruise ships as well as RoRo and ConRo (Container/RoRo) ships,” it said. 

“We expect ammonia to establish itself as an alternative marine marine fuel in the coming years. With our preparatory work, we are already creating the conditions to welcome the first ammonia-powered ships in Hamburg and to bunker them safely.:

HPA added that the import terminal for ammonia planned by MB Energy from 2029 will make a decisive contribution to ensuring the reliable availability of ammonia as a bunker fuel in northern German ports in the long term. 

“The use of an ammonia bunker barge is considered a possible addition to the landside infrastructure to enable ship bunkering in the port and beyond in the future,” it said.

Related: Mabanaft Group renames as MB Energy, merging over 50 brands under one identity

 

Photo credit: Hamburg Port Authority
Published: 22 July, 2026

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Environment

Indonesia to expedite removal of sunken Malaysia-flagged tanker “Silver Sincere”

Vessel sank while carrying about 1,000 mt of waste oil on 12 January 2025; the wreck was discovered in March 2025 and was found to have drifted about 13 nautical miles from its original sinking site.

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July 20, 2026

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Indonesia to expedite removal of sunken Malaysia-flagged tanker “Silver Sincere”

Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs on Tuesday (14 July) held a cross-agency coordination meeting to expedite efforts in handling the Malaysian-flagged tanker Silver Sincere that sank off Bintan Regency, Riau Islands.

The vessel sank while carrying about 1,000 metric tonnes (mt) of waste oil on 12 January 2025. 

According to authorities, the ship sank within Indonesian waters. After several surveys, the wreck was finally discovered in March 2025 and it was found to have shifted approximately 13 nautical miles from the initial sinking location.

The meeting was aimed to align cross-ministerial and institutional measures to expedite the handling of the Silver Sincere wreck while minimising risks to shipping safety, the marine environment, and national interests.

Deputy for Coordination of State Defense and National Unity Purwito Hadi Wardhono emphasised that the handling of the impact of the Silver Sincere sinking was the first case to be comprehensively coordinated, serving as a model for handling foreign vessels sinking within Indonesian jurisdiction.

Through this cross-sectoral coordination, the government will establish a clear and measurable framework that can serve as a reference for resolving similar cases in the future, while minimising state losses due to environmental pollution, damage to underwater ecosystems and infrastructure, and disruption to shipping lanes.

“The most important thing is to immediately stop and prevent the negative impacts of this ship sinking,” Purwito said.

“Therefore, a coordinating role is crucial, as maritime security governance involves various ministries and institutions with varying authorities, allowing for faster, more integrated, and more effective response,” he said. 

He added that the Silver Sincere was a Malaysian-flagged vessel that sank within Indonesian jurisdiction, and therefore, all handling processes must comply with the provisions of Indonesian laws and regulations.

In the meeting, Prof. Eko Ganis Sukoharsono, representing the SAE Energy Consulting Team, presented the results of an analysis based on 14 observation periods using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery. 

The analysis results showed strong indications of a waste oil spill that has resulted in marine pollution, damage to the seabed due to shifting shipwrecks, disruption of coastal ecosystems and fishing grounds, and potentially threatening the livelihoods of fishing communities around the Riau Islands. 

Purwito added these findings further emphasise the importance of accelerating the removal of the shipwrecks to prevent widespread environmental impacts, maintain shipping safety, and avoid the potential for greater state losses.

The meeting brought together representatives of related ministries and institutions including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Ministry of Environment, Attorney General’s Office.  

Related: MPA: Malaysia-registered tanker “Silver Sincere” sinks off Pedra Branca

 

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Julian T
Published: 20 July, 2026

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