The International Gas Union Calls for the Preservation of a Key Production Pathway for Renewable Maritime Fuels

To scale bio-LNG bunkering to its full potential, it is essential that any legislative or regulatory measures support principles, such as the liquefaction by equivalence, as this is one of the most effective ways to connect biomethane production with maritime demand at scale.

Bio-LNG’s momentum has been supported by both market preference for practical drop-in solutions and technology-neutral policies, such as Europe’s FuelEU maritime legislation.

Preserving the viability of this pathway will help accelerate emissions reductions, strengthen energy resilience, create demand for European-produced low-emission gases and reinforce industrial competitiveness.

As a co-signatory of the Scaling BioLNG and eLNG for Maritime Sector Decarbonisation joint industry position, The International Gas Union (IGU) therefore urges the European Commission (EC) to ensure that the forthcoming revision of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/996 fully recognises liquefaction by equivalence and does not inadvertently penalise one of Europe's most practical and scalable pathways to decarbonise its maritime transport. 

As bio-LNG enjoyed a watershed year in 2025, given its uptake by the global shipping industry due to it offering a proven pathway to reduce maritime emissions, the facts speak for themselves (as evidenced in the 2026 World LNG Report)

• Bunkered volumes at the key global port of Rotterdam increased sixfold from 2,775 cm in 2024 to 17,644 cm in 2025, with a further increase registered in Q1 2026;

• In France and Spain, bio-LNG bunkering was offered at seven of the two countries’ 11 LNG ports

• In the United States, Seaspan Energy and Anew Climate completed their first bio-LNG STS fuelling operation in Long Beach, California

• China’s first bio-LNG bunkering took place in Changxing Island, Dalian

Mark McCrory, IGU’s Director for Policy & Analysis, said “Bio-LNG enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2025. In order to sustain this momentum, policymakers must create the regulatory framework that connects a fragmented base of biomethane producers with the global shipping industry's fuel supply chains. Liquefaction by equivalence offers a practical pathway to aggregate distributed production at scale, unlocking the full emissions-reduction potential of this fuel.”