Climate technology company Bennu Climate and maritime innovation venture catalyst lomarlabs have launched the first extended at-sea trial of a system designed to remove methane during normal vessel operations.
The 12-month pilot will take place on a Lomar supramax 57,000-dwt bulk carrier, testing Bennu’s compact onboard unit designed to eliminate fugitive methane emissions. The system uses advanced photochemistry to destroy methane molecules before they can trap heat in the atmosphere.
Stylianos Papageorgiou, Managing Director of lomarlabs, said: “This pilot represents a paradigm shift for our industry. We are putting technology on ships not only to cut their own emissions but to actively remove excess greenhouse gas from the atmosphere as they sail. We’re proud to back innovators like Bennu who turn bold ideas into real-world climate tools.”
The system, measuring roughly one cubic metre and weighing 50 kg, can be installed within a day and does not disrupt vessel operations. It is the first deployment of its kind on a ship operating under normal commercial trading conditions.
The technology is designed to address two emission pathways: fugitive methane released during navigation, and methane slip from dual-fuel LNG engines.
The deployment follows earlier dockside trials conducted in 2024, where Bennu first demonstrated its UV-based methane destruction system on a Lomar vessel in port.
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David Henkel-Wallace, Co-founder and CEO of Bennu, said: “Nothing can turn back the climate clock faster than methane removal.”
He added that the system could reduce both emissions and compliance-related costs for shipowners, while supporting wider decarbonisation efforts across the maritime sector.
Methane is the second-largest contributor to human-caused warming and has a significantly higher short-term warming impact than carbon dioxide.
While shipping accounts for a relatively small share of global methane emissions, methane slip from LNG-fuelled vessels is emerging as a regulatory and operational concern.
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The issue is becoming more prominent as LNG adoption grows, with around 1,000 LNG-powered ships already in service.
Regulatory pressure is also increasing. From 2025, methane reporting will be required under FuelEU Maritime and the EU MRV framework, while from 2026 methane will be included in the EU Emissions Trading System.
Bennu is currently progressing towards carbon credit certification through Gold Standard, as the industry explores new mechanisms to monetise emissions reductions and support compliance strategies.
For more information:
Bennu Climate – https://www.bennuclimate.com/
