The EU Methane Regulation & the Move to LDAR.
The regulatory direction is clear. The EU Methane Regulation (EU) 2024/1787, FuelEU Maritime and IMO scrutiny of methane slip are pushing the gas value chain toward systematic leak detection and repair (LDAR): finding methane leaks, fixing them and keeping the record. Acoustic imaging cameras are one practical tool for that work: the Hertzinno HA3LX locates a methane leak by sound, quantifies it with a TDLAS laser and writes the survey report on site. ATEX-safe for carriers, terminals and bunkering.
The Regulatory Direction on Methane
Three strands of policy are converging on the same practical demand: find methane leaks and fix them. Here is what each actually says, and, honestly, where its scope stops.
Regulation (EU) 2024/1787
In force since 4 August 2024, it targets methane emissions from oil, gas and coal energy operations: exploration, production, transmission, distribution and storage. It requires those operators to submit an LDAR programme to their competent authority and to run regular leak detection and repair surveys, with venting/flaring limits and independent verification. It also reaches imports of oil, gas and coal placed on the EU market.
Methane counted well-to-wake
Applying to ships above 5,000 GT calling at EU ports from January 2025, FuelEU Maritime limits the yearly average greenhouse-gas intensity of the energy used on a well-to-wake basis. Crucially, it counts methane slip and upstream methane, not just CO₂, which makes unburned and fugitive methane a direct compliance cost, especially for LNG-fuelled ships.
Methane slip under scrutiny
At MEPC 83 (April 2025) IMO member states agreed in principle to a Net-Zero Framework with a declining GHG fuel-intensity standard for large ships; adoption was subsequently deferred by a year. Work at IMO has increasingly focused on methane slip from LNG engines and how it is measured, putting methane firmly on the maritime agenda regardless of the final vote timing.
Sources
Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector: EUR-Lex full text and EUR-Lex summary. FuelEU Maritime (well-to-wake GHG intensity, methane slip): European Commission. IMO Net-Zero Framework: IMO FAQs. Regulatory status accurate as understood at time of writing (July 2026); verify current obligations directly.
On a Gas Carrier, the Leak You Can't See Is Cargo, and Emissions
A gas carrier moves cargo that is colourless and odourless. When methane or LPG vapour escapes through a flange, dome seal or valve gland, there is nothing to see and nothing the ear can hear, yet the leak is a safety hazard and a continuous loss of product. Boil-off gas (BOG) and fugitive emissions are not just an environmental issue; methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and every litre that leaves the ship is cargo the operator paid for. Methane slip, unburned methane from LNG engines, adds to the same bill under FuelEU Maritime.
A Leak Detection & Repair Programme, in Practice
Leak detection and repair (LDAR) is not a single instrument; it is a cycle. You survey equipment for leaks on a defined schedule, record what you find, repair it within a set timeframe, and re-check that the repair held. Under the EU Methane Regulation, energy-sector operators submit an LDAR programme to the competent authority and run regular surveys (the regulation defines the survey types and frequencies). Whatever the asset, the same practical needs recur:
- Find leaks quickly across many components: flanges, valves, seals, connections
- Quantify a find, so a leak can be prioritised for repair
- Record each finding as evidence: location, reading, date, photo
- Repair within the required window, then re-survey to confirm
- Keep an auditable trail the verifier or authority can review
For a gas carrier, terminal or bunkering operation, that means a survey method that works from a safe distance in a classified zone, produces a reading and a report on the spot, and fits the records you already keep. A camera that only says "there is a leak somewhere" does not close the loop; one that shows where, how much, and generates the record does.
Locate by Sound. Quantify by Laser. Record On Site.
The HA3LX and HZ-HA-270P are built to do the finding-and-recording half of an LDAR cycle, from a safe distance, in classified zones, with the survey evidence produced before you leave.
Image the escaping methane as sound
Pressurised gas leaving a flange, valve gland or seal makes ultrasound the ear cannot hear. The HA3LX beamforms that sound with 144 MEMS microphones across a 2 kHz–130 kHz band and overlays it on the live camera image, so the source is obvious even across a deck or terminal, with no contact and nothing taken offline. That speed is what makes surveying a large component count practical.
- Detects leaks from as little as 0.0032 L/min at 2.5 m
- Operating distance 0.3–200 m: survey from where it is safe to stand
- Localization ±1°: resolving the source to within 1 cm at a metre
Verify the methane with a laser, in ppm·m
Hertzinno describe the HA3LX as the first-in-industry ATEX-certified acoustic camera to integrate laser methane sensing. Once the array has localised the leak, the TDLAS laser (Class IIIR) is aimed at that exact point and reads the methane concentration, from a 5 ppm·m static detection limit across a 0–50,000 ppm·m range, in 0.2 s, at up to 30 m. Sound tells you where; the laser tells you how much, so a find can be prioritised for repair.
- TDLAS principle: measures methane specifically, not "a gas"
- Response time 0.2 s · detecting distance 30 m
- Laser rangefinder 0.1–20 m to fix the measurement geometry
Leak rate, cost and CO₂: then the survey report, on the spot
The HA3LX converts the find into figures an operator can act on: the leak rate in L/min, the estimated annual cost of that leak, and its carbon mass (CO₂), all on the 5-inch 1920×1080 touchscreen. One-click on-device analysis then builds the inspection report in the field, with voice, text, photo and tag annotations, exported by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB-C: the kind of dated, located, evidenced record an LDAR workflow needs. PC and cloud analysis follow from the same file.
- Leak rate · estimated annual cost · carbon mass, live on screen
- Photo, voice, text and tag annotation against each finding
- On-device, PC and cloud analysis from the same file
The on-screen cost and CO₂ figures are indicative estimates the camera derives from user-set inputs (gas price, run-time and emission factor); they are not a guaranteed or independently verified figure.
Wherever methane changes hands, someone has to find the leak.
The same acoustic-plus-laser method that works a gas carrier's cargo deck works a terminal's loading arms and a bunkering connection. Locate the leak by sound from a safe distance, put a methane number on it with the laser, read the rate and its cost live, and produce the evidence on the spot, without entering the hazard or taking a system offline.
Two ATEX Cameras for Methane Leak Detection
The HA3LX flagship, acoustic localization plus laser methane quantification, and the HZ-HA-270P, which fuses ultrasonic leak detection with infrared thermography. Both ATEX-safe for classified zones. Add either to your quote.
Hertzinno HA3LX
The core tool for methane LDAR work. As published by Hertzinno, the first-in-industry ATEX-certified acoustic camera to integrate a laser methane sensor. A 144-microphone array localises a pressurised-gas leak by sound; the TDLAS laser then verifies and quantifies the methane at that point in ppm·m. On-screen leak-rate, estimated annual cost and carbon-mass calculation, plus on-site report generation, make it a natural fit for the find-quantify-record steps of an LDAR cycle on carriers, terminals and bunkering.
- Acoustic array localises the leak; TDLAS laser quantifies the methane
- Live leak rate (L/min), estimated annual cost (USD) & carbon mass (CO₂)
- ATEX Ex ib IIC T4 Gb & Ex ib IIIC T130 °C Db · IP54 · <1.2 kg
- Acoustic array144 MEMS
- Frequency2–130 kHz
- Localization±1° · ≤1 cm @ 1 m
- Laser methane5–50,000 ppm·m
- Methane range30 m stand-off
- Gas-leak sensitivity>0.0032 L/min @ 2.5 m
- ATEXEx ib IIC T4 Gb
- Weight<1.2 kg · IP54
Full specifications ⌄
| Acoustic array | 144 MEMS microphones |
| Frequency range | 2 kHz – 130 kHz |
| Dynamic range | −30 to 120 dB |
| Localization | ±1° · ≤1 cm at 1 m (at 40 kHz) |
| Operating distance | 0.3 – 200 m |
| Laser methane sensor | Class IIIR, TDLAS principle |
| Static detection limit | 5 ppm·m |
| Measuring range | 0 – 50,000 ppm·m |
| Laser response time | 0.2 s |
| Methane detecting distance | 30 m (at 80% reflectance, 3000 ppm·m) |
| On-screen calculation | Leak rate (L/min) · estimated annual cost · carbon mass (CO₂) |
| Gas-leak sensitivity | >0.0032 L/min at 2.5 m · >0.0044 L/min at 6 m · >0.049 L/min @120 kPa at 8 m |
| Optical camera | 13 MP · FOV 72° · 4K/1080P photo · 1/2/4/8 zoom · 1080p video @30/60 fps |
| Display | 5-inch 1920×1080 capacitive touchscreen |
| Storage | 128 GB microSD |
| Annotations | Text / voice / photo / tags |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz) · Bluetooth 4.2 · E-compass · LED light |
| Power & charging | USB-C, PD fast charge · 2.5 h (10→90%) · Li-Ion removable battery + spare in kit |
| Laser rangefinder | 0.1 – 20 m |
| Ingress | IP54 |
| ATEX | Ex ib IIC T4 Gb & Ex ib IIIC T130 °C Db |
| Modes | Partial Discharge · Gas Leak · Mechanical |
| Analysis | On-device + PC + cloud |
| Weight & size | <1.2 kg · 333 × 152 × 115 mm |
| Working temperature | −20 to 55 °C |
| Package | Camera, USB charger, charging dock, spare battery, carrying case, manual, factory test report, accessory kit |
Hertzinno HZ-HA-270P
A dual-function instrument that combines ultrasonic leak detection with infrared imaging for hazardous-area gas inspection. A 138-microphone array localises the leak by sound while a 640×512 IR sensor adds thermography in the same pass, rugged for harsh environments and ATEX-certified for classified zones. Where the HA3LX adds laser methane quantification, the 270P pairs the acoustic find with a thermal picture: a solid second camera in an LDAR toolkit.
- Ultrasonic leak detection fused with 640×512 infrared thermography
- ATEX Ex ib IIC T4 Gb & Ex ib IIIC T80 °C Db
- Internal battery: 4 h operation / 8 h standby
- Acoustic array138 MEMS
- Frequency2–100 kHz
- Operating distance0.3–200 m
- Thermal sensor640×512 IR
- ModesPD · Leak · Mechanical
- Battery4 h / 8 h standby
- ATEXEx ib IIC T4 Gb
- Display5-inch 720P
Full specifications ⌄
| Acoustic array | 138 MEMS microphones |
| Frequency range | 2 kHz – 100 kHz |
| Frame rate | 30 fps |
| Dynamic range | −30 to 120 dB |
| Operating distance | 0.3 – 200 m |
| Thermal sensor | 640×512 IR (infrared thermography) |
| Optical camera | 13 MP |
| Display | 5-inch 720P touchscreen |
| Battery | Internal · 4 h operation / 8 h standby |
| Storage | 64 GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (no Bluetooth) |
| Laser rangefinder | Not fitted |
| ATEX | Ex ib IIC T4 Gb & Ex ib IIIC T80 °C Db |
| Modes | Partial Discharge · Gas Leak · Mechanical |
| Build | Rugged for harsh environments |
More on the flagship cameras and the vessel context: Methane & Gas-Leak Cameras → · LNG & LPG Carrier solution → · How acoustic imaging works →
Finding & Measuring Methane
Footage published by Hertzinno: the HA3LX reading methane concentration in ppm·m with the integrated TDLAS laser, and an acoustic gas-leak inspection on an oil & gas site.
Footage as published by Hertzinno; the LNG/LPG application is shown as a Hertzinno application.
EU Methane Regulation & LDAR: Common Questions
New to acoustic imaging? Our guide explains how it works and where each mode is used.
Does the EU Methane Regulation require handheld cameras aboard LNG ships?
What is an LDAR programme?
How does an acoustic imaging camera help with methane leak detection?
Is the camera safe to use on an LNG or LPG cargo deck or at a terminal?
How does FuelEU Maritime make methane a cost?
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