The Ramelia, a nearly 500-foot ship in brilliant red and white, turned some heads this month when it headed west on the St. Lawrence Seaway, toward Lake Ontario. Observant ship watchers noticed two large tanks on its deck, with the letters LNG painted on them.
LNG â liquefied natural gas â is making major inroads for ocean-going vessels, but a much smaller one for those on the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes.
Ramelia, homeported in Sweden, was launched in 2019 and was making its maiden voyage on the Seaway. Itâs more environmentally friendly than the traditional ships on the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes, many which burn âbunkerâ fuel oil. Bunker oil, distilled from crude oil, can be broken down into different categories. A 2018 report published by the Yale School of Environment described the fuel as being made âfrom the dregs of the refining process. Itâs also loaded with sulfur â the chemical that, when burned, produces noxious gases and fine p