Sea-LNG reports that its energy company member Gasum is collaborating with Hapag-Lloyd to supply its container vessels with liquefied biomethane (bio-LNG) during a two-year tender period.
Earlier in 2024, Hapag-Lloyd won the first tender by the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA) for ocean shipping based on waste-based biomethane that achieves at least a 90% reduction of GHG emissions.
ZEMBA is a first-of-its-kind buyers’ group within the maritime sector with the mission to accelerate commercial deployment of zero-emission (ZE) shipping solutions. ZEMBA is an initiative of Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV) and facilitated by the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Programme. Gasum is supplying Hapag-Lloyd with the needed amount of bio-LNG to fulfil the requirements of the ZEMBA tender. The biomethane will be used on a route between Rotterdam and Singapore during 2025–2026.
Jacob Granqvist, VP Maritime, Gasum said: “This agreement demonstrates that the green transition in the maritime transport sector is picking up speed. Gasum is proud to enable this transition by supplying shipping companies with biomethane in the Northern European region. We need all hands on deck to drive the effort, and using biomethane to fuel maritime transports is an effective way to reduce emissions already today, rather than in a distant future.”
Jan Christensen, Senior Director Fuel Purchasing, Hapag-Lloyd said: “We are confident in our partnership with Gasum to supply waste-based biomethane in line with the strict sustainability requirements of ZEMBA and the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII). This agreement is a stepping-stone towards our target to be net-zero carbon by 2045.”
Liquefied biomethane, bio-LNG, is a fully renewable and environmentally friendly fuel with life-cycle GHG emissions that are, on average, 90% lower when compared with fossil fuel use. Biogas can be used in the same applications as natural gas, including as maritime transport fuel.
Gasum’s biomethane is produced from waste feedstocks such as biowaste, sewage sludge, manure and other industrial and agricultural side streams. The residual solids and liquids created in the biogas production process are further processed and used as, for example, fertilisers in agriculture or raw material in industrial processes. Gasum is dedicated to procuring more renewable gas to satisfy the increasing demand for sustainable energy. Gasum produces biogas in its own 17 biogas plants in Finland and Sweden and has additionally established long-term partnerships with certified biogas producers throughout Europe.
Gasum’s goal is to offer 7TWh of renewable gas to its customers yearly by 2027, including biomethane and e-methane. Achieving this goal would mean a combined CO2 reduction of 1.8m tons per year for Gasum’s customers. Gasum is able to provide liquefied biomethane bunkering services to all shipping companies that have vessels running on LNG, as the two fuels are fully interchangeable. They can be mixed at any ratio.
Image: Gasum’s Turku biogas plant (credit: Gasum)
