Daphne Technology and Maran Gas have concluded their joint pilot project that marked the first deployment of the SlipPure Plasma-Catalytic Methane Slip Aftertreatment system on board the commercial LNG carrier Maran Gas Chios. During the trial, reductions of up to 4 ± 2 g/kWh methane slip were achieved.
Methane slip, the unburned methane released from dual-fuel marine engines, remains a key challenge for LNG-fuelled vessels. Addressing this challenge is essential to unlock the full potential of LNG as a lower-emission marine fuel. Daphne Technology’s SlipPure system, designed to abate methane directly from exhaust gases, was retrofitted on board the vessel to test the feasibility of this approach under real operating conditions.
The results of the trial represent a first step in validating the technology at sea and provide critical insights for the next phase of development.
Also read: Daphne and Williams land USD 6M grant for methane abatement tech
Uncharted territory
The pilot project illustrates the broader role of early adopters in the energy transition. By taking on risk and providing operational platforms for emerging solutions, companies like the Angelicoussis Group, of which Maran Gas is a part, accelerate the development of technologies that may become critical in reducing emissions from hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping.
Ivan Raleff, Managing Director of Daphne Technology in Switzerland: ‘This was the first time the SlipPure Plasma-Catalytic system has been deployed on a ship. It represented a bold step into uncharted territory, and the opportunity to conduct the trial has given us invaluable insights into how methane abatement systems behave in real-life maritime environments. These learnings are fundamental to the next phase of product development, and we are deeply grateful to the Angelicoussis Group for their openness, trust and support in enabling this milestone pilot.’
‘Methane slip reduction is an inherent challenge for engines running on gas,’ adds Andreas Spertos, Technical Director at Maran Gas Maritime Inc. ‘When combined with the adversities of the marine environment, the challenge becomes exponentially more difficult. The successful demonstration on board Maran Gas Chios is a landmark methane abatement technology trial. Together with Daphne, we successfully performed the test, verified the potentials, and identified improvements that will support the continuous development of this promising technology.’
Also read: AiP for Daphne’s methane slip abatement tech SlipPure
Further development
The SlipPure Plasma – Catalytic system, in conjunction with Daphne Technology’s already commercialised PureMetrics emissions monitoring platform, continues to be developed with the aim of offering scalable methane abatement solutions for both land-based and marine applications.
Picture: LNG-carrier Maran Gas Chios (photo by the Angelicoussis Group).
