Leading maritime companies have formed a coalition called SEA / LNG to accelerate the widespread adoption of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel. The coalition intends to remove obstacles to the global development of LNG for maritime applications and thus improve the environmental impact of shipping. The coalition consists of Wärtsilä,
Carnival Corporation, DNV-GL, ENGIE, ENN Group, GE Marine, GTT, Lloyds Register, Mitsubishi, NYK Line, Port of Rotterdam, Qatargas, Shell Downstream and Tote. Each member contributes to agreed human resources, data analysis, and knowledge sharing to support coalition initiatives and activities.
LNG provides significant environmental benefits to shipping compared to heavy fuel oil, which remains the most commonly used fuel in the sector. Compared to it, NOx emissions from LNG use have been reduced by approximately 85%, SOx emissions have been almost completely eliminated since natural gas does not contain sulfur, and particulate emissions are practically
non-existent due to the efficiency of its combustion. The main areas of focus of the coalition are the development of LNG supply in large ports, education of stakeholders on the risks and opportunities in the use of LNG fuels and the development of globally consistent provisions on cleaner marine fuels.