Energy
LNG-powered Great Lakes freighters could cut greenhouse emissions
|
By: MORGAN LINN
Capital News Service
LANSING — Great Lakes shipping has the potential to go green. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) could replace oil as the fuel of choice for the freshwater ships, according to a recent study published by the Transportation Research Board. But conversion costs, declining fuel prices and processing capacity are barriers. To examine the feasibility of conversion, researchers studied the S.S. Badger, a coal-burning ferry that runs across Lake Michigan between Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. “It was a good platform for us to take a look at and model,” said Carol Wolosz, an author of the study and the executive director of the Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute.