Major LNG shipping firms are moving to test whether continuous onboard emissions monitors can replace the estimate-based reporting system that now underpins compliance with European and international climate rules, a shift that could reshape how shipowners document carbon output and manage regulatory costs.
LNG Shipping Tests Continuous CO2 Emissions Monitoring
Lloyd’s Register, Seapeak, Kongsberg Maritime and Tunable have launched a joint development project to independently verify the accuracy of Kongsberg’s Continuous Emissions Monitoring System on a newly built LNG carrier due for delivery in early 2027. The partners will compare real-world CO2 readings with engine test-bed data and standard emissions factors, then assess whether direct measurement can stand up in IMO and EU reporting frameworks.
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The stakes are financial as much as technical. Under the EU ETS, shipowners must buy and surrender allowances for all emissions on voyages within the EU and EEA, and for half of emissions on routes into and out of the bloc. Better measurement can affect both the size of those liabilities and the credibility of compliance data used by owners, charterers and regulators.
For LNG operators, the project also lands at a time when environmental performance is becoming more closely tied to access to cargoes, financing and chartering terms. Seapeak said the trial is aimed at data-driven operational decisions and identifying further emissions reductions across its fleet, while Lloyd’s Register said independently verified readings could improve confidence in reporting and support emissions minimisation.
Kongsberg said most maritime CO2 reporting still relies on fuel consumption and standard emission factors rather than direct measurement. The trial will run through 2027, giving the industry one of its first sustained attempts to validate whether continuous emissions monitoring can work under commercial operating conditions rather than just in laboratory tests.
Investors in LNG shipping and LNG export names are likely to watch the project for its implications for compliance costs, vessel specifications and future ordering decisions. For owners with modern tonnage, more accurate reporting could strengthen competitive positioning; for older fleets, tighter verification could expose weaker emissions performance and higher carbon costs.
The immediate catalyst is the trial’s results next year, which could inform whether direct emissions measurement gains wider acceptance in maritime regulation and accelerates adoption of onboard monitoring systems across the LNG fleet.
| Entity | Gains | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| LNG shipowners with newer vessels | ▲Better compliance data | ▼Less room to rely on estimates |
| Kongsberg Maritime, Tunable | ▲Validation for CEMS tech | ▼Risk of weak trial results |
| Regulators and charterers | ▲More transparent emissions reporting | ▼Less reliance on default factors |
| Older LNG fleets | ▲Higher scrutiny | ▼Potentially higher carbon costs |
