Environmental and price challenges are driving the interest in alternative ship fuels, but the number of realistic candidates is small, finds the latest study Alternative Fuels and Technologies for Greener Shipping of classification society DNV GL.
The study believed liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), methanol, biofuel and hydrogen to be the most promising candidates to be used by the shipping industry as an alternative marine fuel.
“Among them, LNG has already overcome the hurdles related to international legislation, and methanol and biofuels will follow suit very soon. It will be a while before LPG and hydrogen are covered by appropriate new regulations within the IMO IGF Code, as well,” it finds.
“The existing and upcoming environmental restrictions can be met by all alternative fuels using existing technology. Fuel cells can use all available alternative fuels and achieve efficiencies comparable to, or better than, those of current propulsion systems.”
However, the study notes fuel-cell technology for ships to be still in its “infancy”. The most advanced developments to date have been achieved by the projects running under the umbrella of the e4ships lighthouse project in Germany, with Meyer Werft and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems heading the projects for seagoing ships.
Wind-assisted propulsion, meanwhile, could potentially reduce fuel consumption, especially when used for slow ships, but the business case remains difficult.
Batteries as a means to store energy can be considered as an alternative fuel source in the widest sense. Still, they have major potential for ships running on short distances and can be used to boost the efficiency of the propulsion system in any ship, but are unable to substitute fuel in deep-sea shipping.
With low-sulphur and alternative fuels becoming more widely available, the well-known combined cycle gas and steam turbine technology represents a viable alternative for highpower ship propulsion systems.
“All fuel alternatives discussed here could meet the foreseeable volume requirements for shipping over the coming years,” it notes.
“A major increase in consumption would require an appropriate increase in production capacity; the only exception is LNG, which is available in sufficient quantities today to meet the potential requirement of the shipping industry for many years.
“Without taxation or subsidies, renewable fuels will find it difficult to compete with the prices of conventional fossil fuels. “
In short, the study finds LNG and LPG to be the only fossil fuels capable of achieving a reasonable CO2 emissions reduction.
CO2-neutral shipping seems possible only with fuels produced from regenerative sources.
If the shipping sector resorts to synthetic fuels produced from hydrogen and CO2 using regenerative energy, the available alternatives will be liquefied methane (which is very similar to LNG) and diesel-like fuels.
Photo credit: DNV GL
Published: 11 May, 2018
Reintegrate, a subsidiary of European Energy, will product green bunker fuel for A.P. Moller – Maersk’s first vessel powered by carbon neutral methanol.
Study aims to consider the broader spectrum of implications for many ship types and different operational requirements, including bunkering and port operations.
Six memoranda of understanding are to establish industrial facilities and complexes in Sokhna zone to produce green fuel for ship bunkering, amongst other uses.
The fuel is a 0.50% sulphur residual-based fuel (VLSFO) processed with a second generation waste-based FAME component and will be available later this year, it said.
Development will be of particular interest to individual companies and representatives of maritime, waste, greenhouse gas removals, amongst others.
TECO 2030 Marine Fuel Cell is the first fuel cell system in the world that is specifically designed for use onboard ships and on other heavy-duty applications.
Firm hopes to leverage partnership in Greece as a springboard to expand into neighbouring and overseas markets including Europe and China, says Robin Van Elderen, Regional Head Bunkers, Europe, Sing Fuels.
Singapore can help less developed countries in SouthEast Asia through ‘piloting and scaling fuels and technology as well as a leading hub for green finance’, said DNV Group President and CEO Remi Eriksen.
Octamar™ Ultra HF, Octamar™ Complete, and Octamar™ F35C were found to have improved the fuel economy while reducing exhaust gas and other emissions of marine engines in a series of trials, states report.
Disposal of evidence has resulted in Singapore not being able to provide full details to the United Nationals Panel of Experts which sought information regarding the case, says Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
‘We are proud to be amongst the first to show the successful steps taken by Singapore’s bunkering ecosystem to remain forward thinking and relevant,’ Choong Sheen Mao, Director of EMF, tells Manifold Times.
‘With the launch of a common data infrastructure, Kenoil aims to continue achieving an end to end visibility and transparency on the bunker data supply chain,’ states Kenoil Managing Director.
