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Seagoing vessel with red deck cuts through rough swell powered by bio-LNG with visible bow

Bio-LNG for Seagoing Vessels – Direct CO2 Reduction without Retrofit

Author: Jeroen Berger • Publication date:

The maritime sector faces increasing pressure in 2025 to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. European regulations, such as the Emissions Trading System for shipping (EU ETS, effective from January 1, 2024) and the FuelEU Maritime regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1805, applicable from January 1, 2025), require shipowners to gradually reduce the CO2 intensity of onboard energy use. At the same time, large-scale zero-emission options such as green hydrogen, ammonia, or e-methanol are not yet widely deployable, particularly for ocean-going vessels.

In this context, bio-based liquefied natural gas (bio-LNG) is emerging as a directly applicable transitional fuel. Bio-LNG is produced from biogas – for instance, through the digestion of organic waste or animal manure – and is chemically identical to fossil LNG. As a result, it can be used in existing dual-fuel engines, cryogenic storage tanks, and LNG bunkering infrastructure without modifications. Provided it is demonstrably sustainably produced, bio-LNG qualifies for favorable reporting under FuelEU Maritime.

This article describes the status in 2025: from production capacity and operational application to certification requirements and legal frameworks.

Bio-LNG: Usable without Retrofit or Onboard Modifications

Since bio-LNG is molecularly identical to fossil LNG, it can be directly bunkered, stored, and burned in both low- and high-pressure dual-fuel engines and mono-fuel gas engines. The existing LNG logistics – from trucks to bunker barges – remain fully usable. This makes bio-LNG a fully functional drop-in alternative, without the need for retrofit, engine overhauls, or system modifications.

Within the maritime context, bio-LNG is considered an advanced biofuel, provided that the feedstocks used meet the sustainability criteria outlined in Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II). The climate benefit must be calculated according to the well-to-wake approach, which accounts for all emissions – from production to combustion onboard. This method is prescribed in Annex I of the FuelEU Maritime regulation.

First Maritime Bio-LNG Plant in the Netherlands Operational

Since late 2024, the Netherlands has had an operational bio-LNG plant specifically focused on maritime applications. Located in Wilp, Gelderland, the FirstBio2Shipping facility is a Dutch project jointly developed by Nordsol, Attero, and Titan Clean Fuels. The plant produces approximately 2,400 tons of bio-LNG annually, based on locally generated raw biogas. Fuel supplier Titan purchases the entire output and distributes it as bunker fuel to LNG-powered vessels via the existing LNG truck and bunkering pipeline infrastructure.

Depending on the feedstock used, the purification level, and the liquefaction process, this bio-LNG can reportedly achieve up to 92% greenhouse gas reduction compared to conventional marine fuels such as HFO or MGO. This reduction applies only when produced under recognized sustainability certification, in accordance with Article 5 and Annex III of Regulation (EU) 2023/1805.

Case Study: UECC Blends Bio-LNG in LNG Fuel Mix

The Norwegian-Swedish shortsea shipping company UECC (United European Car Carriers) is one of the first maritime players to actively use bio-LNG. In 2023, the company began blending biogenic liquefied natural gas into the regular LNG fuel mix for its dual-fuel Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs). The blending percentage, engine load, and operational profile determined the reported CO2 reduction, which reached approximately 70% compared to fossil LNG.

According to UECC, this has already achieved more than half of its internal climate target for 2030. At the same time, the company points out the limited availability of certified feedstock, partly due to increasing demand from other sectors such as heavy road transport and industrial applications. Furthermore, the lack of sufficient certified bio-LNG production capacity within Europe remains a barrier to further scaling up.

Legal Frameworks: FuelEU Maritime and Certification Requirements

Under the FuelEU Maritime regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1805), seagoing vessels of 5,000 GT and larger that call at an EU port are required to gradually reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of energy use onboard starting in 2025. This reduction trajectory begins at 2% in 2025 and increases to 80% by 2050.

Within this framework, bio-LNG is recognized as a sustainable energy carrier, provided that the following conditions are met:

  • the feedstock (biogas) is listed in Annex IX, Parts A or B, of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II);
  • the fuel is certified under an accepted sustainability system, such as ISCC or REDcert;
  • the greenhouse gas reduction is demonstrably calculated according to the methodology in Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2023/1805;
  • and the volume of bio-LNG bunkered onboard is traceable via an administrative mass balance system, as required in Article 15 of the same regulation.

Without full certification, bio-LNG will not count towards the annual CO2 intensity report, and shipowners may not be able to meet their legal obligations.

Limitations: Limited Production Capacity and Cross-Sectoral Pressure

Despite full technical compatibility with existing LNG systems, the large-scale use of bio-LNG is stalled by two structural bottlenecks:

  • Production Volume: the Wilp facility produces about 2,400 tons of bio-LNG annually. This represents only 0.2% of the total LNG volume that Shell supplied for maritime bunkering worldwide in 2024 (approximately 1.1 million tons), illustrating the need for significant capacity expansion.
  • Feedstock Availability: access to certified digestible streams – such as organic waste and animal manure – is limited. Transport, industry, and agriculture compete for the same bio-based raw materials, which results in uncertain availability.

Additionally, the pricing of bio-LNG is highly volatile. Market prices are influenced by the level of ETS costs, the availability of subsidies, fluctuations in gas prices, and the supply of alternative biofuels.

Conclusion: Bio-LNG as a Scalable Transitional Fuel with Legal Recognition

As of 2025, bio-LNG is technically mature, legally secured, and directly usable in existing LNG vessels. The fuel enables substantial CO2 reduction without modifications to engines or infrastructure, provided it is sustainably produced and demonstrably certified.

At the same time, bio-LNG remains a transitional solution. The limited production capacity and uncertainty around the availability of certified feedstock and traceable certification chains represent structural limitations. Within the framework of Regulation (EU) 2023/1805, bio-LNG thus primarily serves as a bridge towards synthetic methane, e-methanol, and ammonia.

For shipowners with existing LNG tonnage, bio-LNG in 2025 offers a practically applicable route to meet the CO2 reduction requirements of FuelEU Maritime – without technical conversions. Provided it is legally embedded and traceable via a certified mass balance system, bio-LNG represents a strategically deployable tool in the transition to low-emission shipping.

Bio-LNG in Shipping – Frequently Asked Questions Answered

Bio-LNG is liquefied biogas, produced from organic waste such as food scraps, manure, or sewage sludge. Chemically, it is identical to fossil LNG, meaning it works without modification in existing LNG engines, dual-fuel systems, and bunkering facilities. For shipowners, bio-LNG offers a direct route to decarbonize vessels without extensive retrofitting or new onboard tank installations.

Bio-LNG is fully compatible with existing LNG propulsion systems, including dual-fuel engines. The existing bunkering infrastructure – both onboard and in the port – can be used without modification. Ships already operating on fossil LNG can seamlessly switch to bio-LNG without technical interventions or additional investments.

Under Regulation (EU) 2023/1805 (FuelEU Maritime), bio-LNG is recognized as a sustainable marine fuel, provided that the biogas comes from feedstocks listed in Annex IX of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II). Additionally, the entire supply chain must be demonstrably certified as sustainable via an accepted system like ISCC or REDcert. Only then can the fuel count towards the calculation of a ship’s annual CO2 intensity under FuelEU Maritime.

In optimal conditions – such as when using residual streams and fully certified supply chains – bio-LNG can achieve up to 92% CO2 reduction compared to conventional marine fuels like HFO or MGO. This saving applies across the entire fuel chain (well-to-wake), in line with the FuelEU Maritime assessment methodology. Actual reductions depend on the source of the biomass, conversion techniques, and applied certification.

By switching to certified bio-LNG, shipowners can meet the annual CO₂ reduction requirements of Regulation (EU) 2023/1805 (FuelEU Maritime) and reduce their emissions within the European Emissions Trading System for shipping, as outlined in Directive (EU) 2023/959 (EU ETS). Bio-LNG counts as a near-zero-emission fuel, provided the origin and supply chain are fully certified through recognized sustainability systems.

Yes, bio-LNG is increasingly available in Northwest Europe, where the number of bunkering locations is rapidly expanding. Inland shipping operators already using LNG – for example, with Stage V-certified dual-fuel engines – can switch to bio-LNG without technical modifications. Bio-LNG is also applicable in the shortsea segment, provided the vessel is equipped with an LNG installation.

In inland navigation, bio-LNG falls outside the scope of EU regulation, but deployment can be encouraged through national programmes such as Green Award. In shortsea shipping, however, bio-LNG is covered by Regulation (EU) 2023/1805 (FuelEU Maritime), provided it is demonstrably produced in a sustainable manner.