Shipping industry outlines protocol to incentivise methane reduction

The Methane Abatement in Maritime Innovation Initiative (MAMII) has opened a new protocol for consultation to encourage methane reductions in shipping.

The Methane Measurement Protocol (MMP) is the first industrywide effort to establish a universal method for measuring methane. This initiative aims to provide a practical system for the global shipping sector to credit, validate, and certify methane performance.

Building on established frameworks, such as those from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Maritime Organization’s NOx code, the protocol has been released for public consultation.

Panos Mitrou, MAMII Chair and Global Gas Director at Lloyd’s Register, said:

“This protocol represents a proposed framework for emissions measurement and performance evaluation. Assessing and crediting performance in a consistent manner is essential to actively reducing methane emissions.

“We believe that the effort to regulate and establish a certification process to credit methane emissions performance will substantially encourage the development and adoption of technology and cleaner practices by rewarding those who take meaningful steps towards sustainability. Methane abatement is critical for the shipping industry’s transition to greener operations.”

The MMP features five testing scenarios that could lead to methane certification, from testing in controlled environments to continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) onboard ships. Currently, it includes the measurement of methane (CH4) emissions from marine diesel engines and could soon include the measurement of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions.

Led by Safetytech Accelerator since 2022, MAMII was established to address methane emissions from ships using LNG as fuel. The initiative unites industry leaders, tech innovators, and maritime stakeholders, to advance technologies that monitor, measure and mitigate methane emissions.

Methane, as a greenhouse gas, is the second-largest contributor to climate warming after CO2.
Source: Methane Abatement in Maritime Innovation Initiative (MAMII)