Shipowner Matson on Friday (13 December) announced that its containership Kaimana Hila is back in service after completing the company’s third LNG conversion. 

A new bow windshield was also added for improved aerodynamics and fuel conservation.

Kaimana Hila is the latest vessel to operate on LNG, joining its sister ships, Daniel K. Inouye and Manukai. 

Manukai underwent a complete repowering, replacing its engine with a dual-fuel engine like those powering Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila. 

These conversions are part of Matson’s long-term strategy to reduce Scope 1 fleet greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Matson has ordered three new Aloha Class containerships from Philly Shipyard. The first, Makua, is under construction and scheduled for delivery in 2026. 

All three vessels will join the fleet LNG-ready but can operate on conventional fuels as needed. 

Like their sisterships Daniel K. Inouye and Kaimana Hila, each vessel will boast numerous “green ship” technology features, such as a fuel-efficient hull design, environmentally safe double-hull fuel tanks, and freshwater ballast systems.

Photo credit: Matson
Published: 17 December, 2024

An industry coalition SEA-LNG analysis, published on Tuesday (17 December) showed that LNG dual-fuelled vessels provide the lowest compliance cost for meeting EU and IMO decarbonisation regulations.  

Using Z-Joule’s POOL.FM, SEA-LNG has undertaken analysis based on a modelled mid-sized, 14,000 TEU container vessel. This analysis is in the form of both a single vessel and also an eight-vessel fleet operating the Rotterdam – Singapore trade route over the period 2025 to 2040. 

The analysis focuses on the LNG, methanol, and ammonia fuel pathways and compares their compliance costs against the default of using VLSFO (very low sulphur fuel oil). The analysis uses the specifications for main and auxiliary engines published by the main marine engine manufacturers MAN ES, Wärtsilä and WinDG.

The study indicates that LNG, methanol, and ammonia dual-fuel engine technologies can reduce compliance costs compared with VLSFO, with LNG dual-fuel vessels providing a significantly lower cost compliance solution. The basis for this is that the LNG pathway offers immediate greenhouse gas reductions now and in the future compared with the other fuel choices. The use of LNG also dramatically reduces SOx, NOx and Particulate Matter (PM), thereby avoiding the use of relatively expensive MGO (marine gas oil) for ECA (Emission Control Area) compliance.  

In terms of fleet operations, for an eight-vessel fleet with two alternatively fuelled “balancing vessels,” the overall cost of compliance with LNG will be between USD 5 million and USD17 million per annum lower than other alternative fuels such as methanol and ammonia. Further, as FuelEU Maritime is implemented from 2025 onwards, fleet operators using ammonia and methanol dual-fuel vessels are likely to need significant quantities of expensive green fuels in an effort to avoid very high penalty charges.

Steve Esau, Chief Operating Officer at SEA-LNG, said, “It's our mission to provide objective data and analysis to support owners and operators in decision-making at this critical juncture for shipping.”

“As greenhouse gas emissions become subject to increasingly stringent regulation, the industry needs cost-effective solutions to meet its decarbonisation goals. Today, this study clearly illustrates that the LNG pathway is a cost-effective way to meet regulatory compliance targets now and in the future.”  

Fernando Alvarez, Founder of Z-Joule, said: “Z-Joule’s software provides the industry with a robust platform to explore and optimise their decarbonisation journey.”

”POOL.FM is a fuel-agnostic model which utilises an advanced optimisation algorithm to determine the optimal fuel mix, pooling strategy, and target speed for each vessel in a fleet (or vessel pool).”

“The regulations currently modelled include CII, ECAs, EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and Onshore Power Supply (OPS) mandates. Functionality to model possible IMO Market Based Measures (MBM)s is already in place and will be refined as more details about the forthcoming regulations emerge.”

Note: The full white paper is available for download here. 

Photo credit: Venti Views on Unsplash
Published: 18 December, 2024

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