Life cycle assessment of LPG engines for small fishing vessels and the applications of bio LPG fuel in Korea

This study aimed to evaluate the environmental impact of using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in small fishing vessels by conducting a life cycle assessment (LCA) in Korea. For the first time in the country, LPG engines designed for small fishing ships were utilized in this study. In addition, this research examined the potential benefits of employing Bio LPG, a renewable LPG produced from two distinct raw materials (crude palm oil (CPO) and refined, bleached, and deodorized (RBD) palm oil), instead of conventional LPG. The LCA findings reveal that utilizing LPG fuel in small fishing vessels can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 30% over conventional gasoline and diesel fuels. During the life cycle of vessels that use LPG fuel instead of gasoline and diesel fuels, there is a reduction of 2.2 and 1.2 million tons of GHG emissions, respectively. Moreover, substituting conventional fossil fuels with Bio LPG can result in over 65% reduction in GHG emissions. For the life cycle of boats that use Bio LPG fuel in place of gasoline and diesel fuels, the reduction of GHG emissions was 4.9 million tons and 2.5 million tons for CPO and 5.2 million tons and 2.7 million tons for RBD, respectively. This study not only underscores the substantial advantages of using Bio LPG over conventional fossil fuels but also presents conventional LPG as a way to reduce GHG emissions and promote sustainable practices in the fishing industry.