Climate technology company Bennu Climate and lomarlabs, the maritime technology development and venture catalyst arm of Lomar Shipping Ltd (Lomar), a leading ship owner and ship management group, and a maritime subsidiary of Libra Group, have launched the first extended at-sea trial of a system designed to remove methane during normal ship operations.
Methane (CH4) is the second-largest driver of human-caused warming, with a short-term warming potential up to 86 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO2).
Although shipping contributes a small share of global methane, methane slip from LNG-powered vessels is an emerging climate challenge.
With around 1,000 LNG ships already in operation and the adoption of this fuel accelerating, Bennu’s technology offers a new way to meaningfully reduce methane emissions where they occur.
Advanced photochemistry
Bennu Climate’s technology mimics a natural photochemical process to permanently eliminate fugitive methane molecules, whether in ambient air or in exhaust streams.
The system uses advanced photochemistry to destroy methane molecules before they can trap heat in the atmosphere.
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, said Stylianos Papageorgiou, Managing Director of lomarlabs.
From lab to ocean
The 12-month pilot on a Lomar supramax (57,000-dwt) bulk carrier will test Bennu’s compact device that permanently eliminates fugitive methane emissions.
The Bennu system is the first of its kind to be deployed on a vessel that is navigating normal trading conditions and undergoing commercial operations.
Roughly one cubic metre in size, the 50 kg unit can be installed in a single day and does not affect the vessel’s normal operation.
Bennu’s technology introduces a key advantage: A multi-application approach that removes fugitive methane as the ship navigates and a configuration that eliminates residual methane (methane slip) in exhaust gases from dual-fuel engines when running on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The new deployment builds on Bennu’s earlier dockside tests, conducted in 2024, where the company first demonstrated its UV-based methane destruction technology on a Lomar vessel while in port.
Nothing can turn back the climate clock faster than methane removal. Bennu’s innovation has the potential to reduce shipping companies’ costs and regulatory taxes while playing a critical role in the industry’s efforts to reduce its climate impact, said David Henkel-Wallace, co-founder and CEO Bennu Climate.
Timely launch
Bennu’s system is in the process of gaining carbon credit certification from Gold Standard, the internationally recognised program that empowers governments, businesses and enterprises to take climate actions that deliver impact for people and nature.
The latest pilot on a Lomar vessel comes as countries and trading blocs have prioritised methane reductions across industries.
As of 2025, shipowners in the EU must report verified methane slip under the FuelEU Maritime regulation and the EU MRV framework.
From 2026, methane and nitrogen oxide (NOx) join carbon dioxide in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).
