International fuel additives company Infineum on Tuesday (10 December) published an article on its Insight website assessing future bunker fuel options and highlighting the work it is doing to overcome some of the technical issues associated with the use of methanol as a marine fuel.

The following are excerpts from the article:

As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) firms up on its decarbonisation ambitions, towards a net zero 2050, the maritime industry is looking for the best ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Infineum Fuels Technologist, Frank Simpson, explores the future fuel options, assesses the challenges they present to the industry and highlights the work Infineum is doing to overcome some of the technical issues associated with the use of methanol to help it become a more viable marine fuel option.

Major engine manufacturers worldwide are investing heavily in sustainable transportation solutions, many focusing on electric vehicles (EVs), hydrogen fuel cells, and biofuels to reduce emissions. Innovations in engine design, hybrid technologies, and the use of sustainable materials are also key strategies being employed. Additionally, collaboration with governments to develop necessary infrastructure, such as charging stations, is crucial for the transition to greener transportation options.

A multi-fuel, multi-technology approach aims to address the pressing challenges of climate change, while also meeting consumer needs for reliable and affordable mobility solutions.

This presents a huge challenge and raises the question - how can future transportation be sustainable?

The issue is further complicated in non-road industries, such as shipping, where electrification using batteries is more difficult. This is mainly down to challenges related to scaling up battery size, the difficulty of bringing electricity to vessels for charging, ship weight constraints and scarcity of critical raw materials needed for large battery production.

The barriers to electrification mean the production of internal combustion engines capable of running on sustainable fuels is essential for the maritime industry.

Exactly which fuels still remains to be seen, as there are a wide range of options being considered across the industry, all with their advantages and challenges. The leading candidates in this area appear to be methanol, ammonia and hydrogen. In addition, there is a strong interest in cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) and bio-oils (derived from pyrolysis of waste products). However, many of these sustainable fuels will face production and supply issues in the first half of this century, leading most forecasters to suggest there is unlikely to be one lead candidate, rather that the marine industry will adopt a mix of these fuels by 2050.

What does this mean for engine manufacturers?

Firstly, it means huge uncertainty moving forward. Many factors, such as government and IMO regulations, which have seen numerous changes in the past decade alone, are out of the OEMs’ control. Production of green fuels may not meet demand, which could cause their uptake to slow and, because fuel prices are very unpredictable, the economics are especially difficult to plan.

Secondly, it means they need to act today to find technical solutions to enable the use of these new fuels and to ensure they can meet market demand in the future. This has been a huge issue for the industry and significant investments in R&D have been necessary to engineer innovative solutions in these future fuels areas. With many different fuel options still being considered, and no clear picture on which will dominate and by when, OEMs are having to run simultaneous research projects across several fuel areas.

Technical issues facing new fuel adoption

The technical challenges associated with these new fuels fall into three main categories:

Combustion. The extent of which depends on the fuel itself. For example, when compared to diesel fuel, ammonia and methanol are harder to ignite, so a combustion solution including a pilot fuel such as diesel may be needed. In contrast, hydrogen ignites more readily, which causes issues with pre-ignition requiring an alternative solution, such as a specialised engine oil for hydrogen fuel.

Corrosion. This will also differ between the fuels being used, the metals in contact with them and environmental conditions, such as exposure to air or nitrogen blankets, likelihood of water being present and storage temperatures and pressures. This makes finding a cost-effective solution that protects the entire engine and delivery system in all conditions a massive challenge for OEMs. The concern here is that incompatible materials may corrode over time and the metals could become weaker, and break under stress, resulting in severe damage to the engine.

Lubricity. Future fuels all have drastically different lubrication qualities compared to the diesel being used in the field today. While most parts of the engine are lubricated by the engine oil, there are still some areas in fuel injectors and pumps that rely on the fuel to lubricate metal-on-metal contact. The significant sulphur reductions in diesel, mean almost all diesel fuel today includes lubricity additives to compensate for the loss of natural lubricating properties. In cases where the fuel has not provided adequate lubrication, catastrophic damage and wear to the injectors have been observed, causing parts failure within just a few thousand kilometres.

How is Infineum enabling the adoption of future fuels?

Infineum has already made great strides to enable the adoption of future fuels, especially green methanol. We have developed a novel test method specifically tailored for methanol. This method builds upon the HFRR test, incorporating adjustments to account for methanol’s unique characteristics, which has since been adopted for a Marine Methanol Fuels Specification. Untreated methanol is dry and causes a much more severe wear scar than on-spec diesel in this test. Having a test method that allows the lubricity of the methanol to be determined is the first step in solving this complex problem.

Our research and development teams have meticulously explored methanol-compatible lubricity, corrosion and combustion-enhancing additives and have successfully found additive solutions in all of these areas.

Infineum has a new lubricity additive for alcoholic fuels, such as methanol and ethanol, ready for 2025.

This additive will be the first of its kind, and will be perfectly timed to support the early adopters in the industry with their transition to green fuels. Furthermore, the additive will be compatible with retrofit vessels, achieving enhanced lubricity performance compared to on-spec diesel with less than 1000 ppm treat rate.

It is a great example of how Infineum is able to collaborate with OEMs, fuel providers and industry working groups to find viable solutions to the complex problems facing the marine industry today. With 3% of global GHG emissions currently resulting from shipping, and the need for sustainable transportation growing every day, technical solutions to key challenges, such as methanol lubricity, could have a huge impact on the decarbonisation of the industry.

Note: The full article by Infineum can be found here.

Photo credit: Infineum
Published: 12 December, 2024

China Classification Society (CCS) on Monday (28 October) said it issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) each for an ammonia dual-fuel container ship and a methanol dual-fuel bulk carrier, which were independently developed by CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Company Limited.

During a launch conference on 10 October, Zhou Liwei, Deputy General Manager of CCS Guangzhou Branch, on behalf of CCS, handed over the AiPs for the designs of the Honghu 3,500TEU ammonia dual fuel container ship and Haijing 82,000T methanol dual fuel bulk carrier.

CCS said the Honghu 3500TEU container ship has the advantages such as large loading capacity and low fuel consumption of the Honghu SWAN series products. It has excellent energy-saving performance, with a daily fuel consumption about 10% lower than the similar ships in the market.

The Haiying 82,000T methanol dual fuel bulk carrier meets various new regulatory requirements, and can be equipped with various energy-saving technologies such as shaft-mounted generators, wind-assisted rotor sails and gas layer drag reduction. It has multiple alternative fuel design solutions.

Photo credit: CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding
Published: 29 October 2024

International fuel additives company Infineum on Thursday (3 October) announced the appointment of Mr. Rahim Oberholtzer as the new Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, effective 1 October.

Oberholtzer will succeed Mr. Philippe Creteur, who has retired at the end of September 2024, after 18 years of dedicated service to Infineum.

Oberholtzer, a seasoned finance executive with over 25 years of diverse experience, joins Infineum from Shell, where he has held various senior positions. His most recent role was Senior Vice President of Shell Finance for Chemicals and Products.

During his career, Oberholtzer has acquired extensive expertise in public accounting, investment banking, and trading. He began his professional journey at KPMG in San Francisco as an auditor. He then moved on to Merrill Lynch, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and equity offerings within the energy sector, ultimately serving as Head of Structured Finance at Merrill Lynch Commodities. 

In 2011, he joined Shell’s Mergers and Acquisitions team in the U.S., leading key projects such as the launch of Shell Midstream Partners and the Eagle Ford divestment. He subsequently managed finance teams in Trading & Supply, covering European Gas & Power, Global Crude, and Global Products & Operations.

Infineum CEO Aldo Govi, said: “We are deeply grateful for Philippe’s years of dedication and excellent contribution to Infineum. At the same time, I am thrilled to welcome Rahim to our corporate leadership team.”

Photo credit: Infineum
Published: 4 October, 2024