ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
WHAT ARE THE MARINE INDUSTRY’S TARGET GOALS FOR DECARBONIZATION?
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has developed a set of targets for reducing carbon emissions from ships from now until 2050. By 2030, IMO expects vessels to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 40% per transport work, as compared to 2008 levels. IMO has a further target date of 2050 for a 70% reduction of CO2 emissions and a minimum 50% decrease in annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping.
The race is on to comply with sustainability regulations for 2030. Which alternative fuel is the best option?
Today, ships can run on the following alternative fuels: liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), methanol and biofuels. Alternative fuels currently under development include ammonia and hydrogen.
ALTERNA ENERGY will keep you updated on most recent developments and availability of alternative fuels in global ports.
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
As the industry’s more mature alternative fuel option, liquefied natural gas (LNG) combined with new technologies and operational measures can be utilized to meet the 2030 emissions-reduction goals. When utilizing LNG as a marine fuel, there are many items to take into consideration, including:
- LNG is a dynamic fuel
- LNG fueled vessels require special considerations
- Additional training is recommended for crews
LPG is by definition any mixture of propane and butane in liquid form. Specific mixtures of butane and propane are used to achieve desired saturation, pressure and temperature characteristics.
Ammonia is considered a leading contender for fuel options, offering ship owners and operators a zero-carbon tank-to-wake emissions profile. However, there are also several challenges with Ammonia including its toxicity level, which requires strict handling measures, as well as a lack of prescriptive requirements. Because of the lack of requirements, demonstrating a vessel’s capability to operate on ammonia is advantageous.
As one of the many fuels being considered in achieving decarbonization, methanol stands out with its current existing infrastructure since methanol is shipped globally as a commodity. Additionally, methanol offers carbon-neutral potential when produced using biomass and biogas from landfills and wastewater treatment as feedstock. Seeing the potential in methanol, the IMO recently adopted MSC.1621, providing detailed goal based and prescriptive requirements for the use of methanol as fuel and even includes a risk assessment requirement.
Hydrogen is the second zero-carbon fuel considered for the marine sector and it can support the development of a carbon-neutral economy in the future. As such, is seen as an important cargo and fuel for propulsion. It can also support the use of fuel cells for further efficiency and emissions benefits. However, hydrogen has its own challenges, primarily associated with the need for cryogenic storage and its diffusivity, which poses stringent requirement on the fuel containment and gas supply systems.
Biofuels are liquid hydrocarbon fuels of similar composition and properties to fuel oil, but they are produced from renewable sources (biomass) such as crops, agricultural and forestry waste, animal waste, or vegetable and animal fats. Therefore, they can offer GHG emissions reductions from well to tank. Their suitability with existing power generation systems makes them a drop-in solution without the need for equipment retrofits or vessel redesign.
"Shipping is responsible for over a tenth of transport CO2 emissons and is a major source of air pollution. Thanks to decades of inaction, its environmental impact is growing. But switching to green fuels offers a cleaner future."