A methane slip reduction rate of 98% has been achieved by three companies working on a project to develop tech to cut methane-slip for LNG ships.
A portion of the methane in LNG fuel is emitted into the atmosphere unburned as methane. Since methane has a higher greenhouse effect than CO2, reducing methane slip is essential from the perspective of climate change protection.
Mitusi OSK, Kanadevia, and Yanmar Power Solutions set up the project and began demonstration trials in May 2025; they were targeting a 70% cut.
The project, spanning six years from FY2021 to FY2026, combines methane oxidation catalysts with engine improvements.
The goal is to be the first in the world to socially implement methane slip reduction technology in the maritime sector, a technology that has not yet been established even on land, a MOL statement reads.
MOL added that the three companies modified the land-based test equipment for onboard use and, starting in May 2025, began full-scale demonstration trials in sea areas including between Japan and Australia using the LNG-fuelled, MOL-operated, large coal carrier.
In onboard trials, engines are operated under actual operating conditions, subject to constantly changing environmental factors in the engine room as well as fluctuations in load rate due to weather conditions. Even under these conditions, the system achieved a high reduction rate of 98% at the practical operating range (75% load), surpassing the land-based trial results. Going forward, onboard trials will continue through the end of FY2026 to evaluate overall system performance and catalyst durability, with the aim of social implementation from FY2027 onward.
