NEDO selects Methane Slip Reduction Project for next generation ship development
Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd.(MOL) and Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd. (YPT) have proposed "Development of Methane Slip Reduction Technology from LNG Fueled Vessels by Improving Catalysts and Engines" with Hitachi Zosen as the managing company in the "Development of Next Generation Vessels Project" publicly solicited by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization under the Green Innovation Fund, according to MOL's release.
In this project, the partners aim to achieve a methane slip reduction rate of more than 70% for LNG-fueled vessels over a six-year period from FY2021 to FY2026. The reduction will be achieved by combining methane oxidation catalysts and engine improvements thereby further reducing the environmental impact of LNG-fueled vessels.
YPT will also commission Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., together with Hitachi Zosen and MOL to establish the technology to install the system developed in this research on actual ships.
The system will be installed in a coal carrier built at the Namura Shipbuilding and operated by MOL for demonstration of the methane slip reduction technology. The partners will work to establish the technology as soon as possible with a view to utilizing carbon-recycled methane in future applications, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 towards realizing a carbon-neutral society.
