According to a study, cruise ship methane emissions have dramatically increased in a UK port.
According to the advocacy organization Transport and Environment (T&E), vessels in Southampton produced more than 14 tonnes of the potent global warming gas in 2022, a 36-fold increase over three years.
New ships using liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuels were cited as the cause.
The main cruise line in the city, Carnival, claimed that emissions had decreased since 2011.
The "most concerning trend" in European cruise ship emissions, according to T&E, is the rise in methane emissions.
Its report claimed that in 2022, P&O's Iona, the UK's first LNG-powered cruise ship, would produce as much methane as 10,500 cows.
The group asserted that the issue was brought on by "methane slip," or the incomplete combustion of LNG fuels derived from methane.
T&E stated that although these ships have lower air pollution levels, the methane leaks from their engines make them a serious threat to the environment. ".
Additionally, it noted that in 2022, carbon dioxide emissions from Southampton's 44 cruise ships increased by 14% over the previous three years to 32 tonnes.
In 2019, 41 cruise ships visited the port.
Methane is a powerful global warming gas, according to scientists, much more so than carbon dioxide.
It is estimated to be 28–34 times more potent per unit of mass over a 20–year period than carbon dioxide, and 28–34 times more potent over a 100–year period.
P&O Cruises' parent company, Carnival, said it was unable to directly comment on the T&E study.
The most reliable peer-reviewed study on the topic demonstrates that LNG has significantly lower overall greenhouse gas emissions compared to other fuels, a spokesperson for the company said. even taking into account methane slip, conventional fuels. ".
The company claimed that it had cut greenhouse gas emissions since 2011 and aimed to operate carbon-neutral ships by 2050.
