A new report released by the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance (CNGVA) says major economic benefits and emissions reductions can occur by expanding the use of natural gas as a marine fuel on Canada’s Great Lakes and East Coast.
The report, entitled “Liquefied Natural Gas: A Marine Fuel for Canada’s Great Lakes and East Coast” is a summary of an in-depth study undertaken in partnership with Transport Canada and with the support of a broad cross section of industry, government and other stakeholders.
The report concludes that using liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) as a marine fuel will provide significant economic benefits to the owners and operators of vessels, especially coastal vessels. As well, the report notes that natural gas is a clean energy option that offers a means of reducing emissions to meet current and pending environmental regulations.
The report suggests that, under a “medium” adoption scenario:
- 148 LNG vessels could be operating on the Great Lakes and East Coast, requiring 783,000 metric tonnes of LNG annually provided through Canadian port facilities in 2025.
- Vessel owners may see annual fuel cost savings of 25 to 50 per cent in 2025.
- Significant emissions reductions in 2025: (880,000 tonnes/year in CO2 emissions, 37,100 tonnes/year in sulphur oxides, 19,600 tonnes/year in nitrogen oxides, 6,100 tonnes/year in particulate matter)
- Several barriers to greater adoption of natural gas are outlined including LNG and CNG production and distribution capacity, human resources needs, and unfamiliarity with the technology and fuel.