Japanese energy giant Osaka Gas has joined the SEA-LNG coalition to help reduce emissions in the shipping industry by decarbonising marine fuels using its new liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering business.

Osaka Gas is committed to increasing the share of renewable energy in its power generation portfolio and is joining forces with other companies to explore alternatives such as e-methane.

Peter Keller, Chairman of SEA-LNG, points to Osaka Gas’s “critical role” in LNG bunkering. He said: “Osaka Gas brings over a century of corporate expertise and decades of experience in LNG operations in Japan.”

“With its plan to support the adaptation of liquefied e-methane, it underscores how major energy companies, shipowners and other LNG value chain stakeholders can work together to move from immediate emissions reductions from LNG to net-zero e-methane.”

Founded in 2016, SEA-LNG is a cross-sector industry coalition whose members work together to demonstrate the benefits of LNG as a marine fuel along the entire value chain.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set several targets for decarbonizing shipping. The aim is to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by around 2050.

A key focus of IMO’s efforts to reduce emissions from LNG-powered ships is to reduce the impact of methane slip.

Read more: SEA-LNG calls on IMO to tighten greenhouse gas regulation

Methane slip occurs when a small amount of LNG fuel does not burn in the engine and instead escapes with the exhaust gases.

When it comes to reducing shipping emissions, LNG is often referred to as the marine fuel of the future. For the same propulsion power, LNG emits 25% less CO2 than other common marine fuels and also causes fewer nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide and particulate emissions.

Takenori Fujita, Executive Officer and Senior General Manager of the LNG Trading Division, Energy Resources and International Business Unit at Osaka Gas, said: “We are pleased to join SEA-LNG and are committed to making a significant contribution to the decarbonization of the shipping industry.”

“To further expand the use of LNG, we are actively working to launch an LNG bunkering business in 2026. In addition, we plan to launch e-methane, a synthetic gas that will enable our LNG business to seamlessly transition from fossil natural gas to carbon-neutral gas. Our ongoing development of methanation technologies aims to produce e-methane from recycled CO2 and hydrogen.”