LNGameChanger - Making LNG a Permanently Viable Fuel Under the 2050 Maritime Transport Emission Constraints

International shipping carries around 80 percent of traded goods and accounts for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. While liquefied natural gas (LNG) only accounts for about 4 percent of the fuel supply, the number of LNG-powered ships is predicted to increase as global shipping is embarking on a fuel technology transition. In the order books, the majority of new ships capable of using alternative fuels are LNG powered. Between 2024 and 2026 the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is gradually extended to include emissions in the maritime transport sector and from 2025, the FuelEU Maritime regulation has entered into force. This gives extra incentives for the development and deployment of technologies for reducing or eliminating maritime CO2 emissions. The LNGameChanger ambition is to develop a new solution for decarbonizing maritime transport by capturing and storing CO2 from LNG-fuelled Solide Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) power trains. This development targets a high decarbonization rate and CO2 product purity, combined with low energy use for CO2 separation and liquefaction. The aim is to reach CO2 intensities close to the 2050 threshold of the FuelEU Maritime regulation. If this objective is achieved, LNG can become not only a transitional fuel, but a permanently viable option in low-emission maritime transport. In addition to the onboard processes required for decarbonizing LNG-fuelled energy conversion and propulsion, LNGameChanger addresses the infrastructure needs related to decentralized CO2 collection and transport in port. The LNGameChanger project partners are: HAV Group, Havila Kystruten, Gasnor, SINTEF Energy Research and SINTEF Nordvest.

LNGameChanger will enable decarbonized liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered shipping through innovative design of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power train integrated with compact, high-efficiency onboard CO2 capture and storage (OCCS). This process forms the basis of a new product in form of a low-or zero-emission solution for the maritime industry, strongly positioned for a growing LNG market and infrastructure with superior efficiency to alternative solutions. Furthermore, the project will enable stronger logistical synergies between existing LNG transport and distribution infrastructure, and emerging infrastructure for collection and transport of CO2. In LNGameChanger, the cross-sectoral collaboration between the HAV Group (including support by its subsidiaries HAV Design and HAV Hydrogen), Havila Kystruten, Gasnor, SINTEF Energy Research and SINTEF Nordvest aims to prove a theoretical validation of the decarbonized SOFC power train for maritime applications in the Megawatt (MW) range. The key R&D challenges to be addressed are: 1) direct integration between SOFCs and the novel CO2 capture and liquefaction process; 2) marinization of the SOFC, capture process and liquid CO2 storage; Integrability and compatibility with different ship types and corresponding load profiles; 3) low-pressure liquid CO2 storage and re-liquefaction of displaced cushion gas during storage accumulation; 4) infrastructure requirements for CO2 offloading. LNGameChanger will define the readiness to take the decarbonized SOFC power train solution to a subsequent demonstration level in successor projects to allow realisation of value creation by all partners.