Daphne Technology and Angelicoussis Group’s business unit Maran Gas have completed a pilot project to test plasma-catalytic methane abatement technology on board the Maran Gas Chios liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier.
According to Daphne, this is the first time the SlipPure Plasma-Catalytic Methane Slip Aftertreatment system has been deployed in commercial maritime operations.
The initiative is said to address the challenge of methane slip, which refers to unburned methane emitted from dual fuel marine engines and remains an operational issue for LNG fuelled vessels.
The pilot involved retrofitting Daphne’s SlipPure system to the vessel’s exhaust to assess its ability to mitigate methane emissions under actual operating conditions.
During the trial, Daphne recorded reductions in methane slip of up to 4 ± 2 g/kWh.
The company stated that these results mark an initial step in validating the technology at sea and offer valuable insights to guide the next phase of development.
Daphne Switzerland managing director Ivan Raleff said: “This was the first time SilpPure 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.”
Both companies emphasised that the data generated from this pilot will inform future technological improvements and support efforts to reduce methane emissions across the shipping sector.
Maran Gas facilitated installation and operation of this first-of-a-kind technology on a vessel in active service, demonstrating willingness to support early-stage maritime decarbonisation technologies.
Maran Gas Maritime technical director Andreas Spertos said: “Methane slip reduction is an inherent challenge for engines running on gas. When combined with the adversities of the marine environment, the challenge becomes exponentially more difficult.
“The successful demonstration onboard Maran Gas Chios is a landmark methane abatement technology trial.”
Daphne continues to develop its methane abatement platform, alongside its PureMetrics emissions monitoring system, with plans to extend applications across both maritime and land-based settings.
In 2022, South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) received an order from Maran Gas to construct two additional LNG carriers.
