LNG

As liquified natural gas (LNG) continues to gain traction globally as a commercial marine fuel, the Port of Galveston and the community will reap environmental and economic benefits. Fueling more ships with safe, clean-burning LNG improves air quality. Providing LNG fueling services would create more jobs and ship calls for the port.

Any major change takes time, but a growing number of LNG-fueled ships are being launched every year. The newly built Carnival Jubilee will be the first LNG-powered cruise ship to homeport in Galveston beginning in late 2023.

According to Class Society DNV, a global maritime advisory organization, at the end of 2021 there were 251 LNG-fueled ships in operation and approximately 450 on order at shipyards worldwide.

The cruise industry forecasts 26 LNG-powered cruise ships by 2027. Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Disney cruise lines all have plans for greener, more efficient ships. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), LNG helps reduce a cruise ship’s carbon emissions by approximately 30 percent.

LNG fuel is one of the best options available for cruise ships to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, CLIA states. By using LNG fuel, sulfur emissions are reduced by nearly 99 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by 85 percent. This is a huge step toward a greener future for the cruise industry.

LNG as a marine fuel has been adopted in a wide range of other vessels, including container vessels, crude tankers, chemical tankers, passenger ferries, car carriers, tugs, bulk carriers, fishing vessels and dredgers. With a growing number of LNG-fueled vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico, demand for LNG as bunker fuel is rising.