Cryogenics: building on a safe transition for the Gas sector

Cryogenic technology has already enabled a dramatic shift in the world’s energy mix and is set to play a key role in the decarbonisation transition between now and 2050. Over the last 60 years, cryogenics have facilitated a buoyant global trade in liquid natural gas, shipped at -162°C . Apart from bringing relatively cheap power to large consumers and remote energy-starved communities, it has also substantially contributed to quality of air around the globe as well as tackling the Green House Gas impact of other fossil fuels energy mix. Despite all this good, society asks the sector to intensify effort even further, in order to push the envelope to deliver technology solutions on time, for key elements of the energy transition until 2050.

Bearing in mind the natural gas hydrocarbon nature, cryogenics will enable the development of a new power sources necessary for the world’s decarbonisation process. The new sustainable forms of methane derived from non-fossil fuel sources is already available – from biomass, agriculture and waste – and will be essential for the industrial energy transition that is now urgently required. The sector will need to spread to smaller horizontal applications with liquefaction, storage and transport capability widely available.

Cryogenics can also enable key technologies such as carbon capture and storage to transform the world’s emissions profile. Cryogenic carbon capture has the potential to minimise emissions from fossil-fuelled power plants at a significantly lower cost than other CCS technologies today and cryogenics will also underpin the development of new zero-carbon fuels, such as hydrogen.

Speaker

Panagiotis Mitrou
Gas Technology Segment Manager, Lloyd’s Register

Panos Mitrou has been with Lloyd’s Register for 15 years and currently holds the position of Global Gas Segment Manager, based in Piraeus. His primary focus is on areas like the seaborne gas supply chain, LNG and other gas as fuel, as well as gas floating solutions, delivering an enhanced service portfolio to the shipping community. He has held commercial and technology positions since 2012 and has been deeply involved in the setup and materialisation of several funded projects related to alternative fuels and innovation in the maritime sector. Since 2013, he has initiated Poseidon Med, a key cross-border European project, introducing LNG bunkering in Eastern Mediterranean maritime transportation.

During Mitrou’s seven years with Lloyd’s Register Piraeus Technical Support Office, he dealt with a series of statutory and other reviews, ranging from BWM to MARPOL and the IBC and IGC Codes. In this context he has supported and led the implementation of several pieces of new legislation. Since 2007 Mitrou has represented Lloyd’s Register in a number of international forums, conferences and projects.

Mitrou holds a Naval Architect and Marine Engineer Diploma from NTUA and an MBA in Shipping from ALBA Business School. He is currently a PhD candidate in Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering, at University of Strathclyde with focus on optimising the shipping decarbonisation pathway.