Alternative Fuels

LR: Technology readiness for zero carbon bunker fuels is increasing, but barriers to adopt remain

LR Maritime Decarbonisation Hub identified that while technology readiness across supply chains for key alternative marine fuels, barriers for investment and community readiness to adopt them remain significant.

Published

12 months ago

October 13, 2023

Admin

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) on Thursday (12 October) said its Maritime Decarbonisation Hub’s October 2023 has released an update of the Zero Carbon Fuel Monitor, which tracks technology, investment and community readiness of prominent alternative bunker fuels for the maritime energy transition.

The hub identified that while technology readiness across supply chains for key alternative marine fuels, barriers for investment and community readiness to adopt them remain significant.

Amelia Hipwell, Decarbonisation Innovation Manager, LR Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, said: “Shipping’s transition to zero carbon fuels cannot be achieved through individual action or in isolation, and requires cross-sector collaboration, transparency and knowledge-sharing across the shipping industry.”

“Although technology readiness across the supply chain is increasing for key candidate fuels, significant barriers to adoption remain in terms of investment and community readiness. Hence the need for collective action across stakeholders in the industry to drive forward the transition.”

The hub added that technology progress across fuel supply chains is evident, especially for ammonia and green hydrogen.

Significant milestones have been achieved for ammonia in 2023, with WinGD's two stroke ammonia engine having received LR approval in principle as well as MAN Energy Solutions’ (MAN ES) successful completion of the first test engine running on ammonia. Green hydrogen production is also on the rise, and a bunkering license has now been granted in the Netherlands.

Overall, there has been an increase in readiness levels scattered across the key fuels and their supply chain stages, notably ammonia, methanol and hydrogen. A key factor is the success of government strategies for decarbonisation in driving land-side infrastructure expansion.

These investments and support at government level have the potential to contribute to fuel availability, port infrastructure and regulatory advancements that will benefit shipping. There has been an increase in national hydrogen energy strategies worldwide, with major countries such as the UK, China and India actively investing in renewable energy and land-side hydrogen infrastructure.

However, for methane, concerns over methane slip are affecting technology readiness level (TRL). This challenge is being tackled by Safetytech Accelerator-led Methane Abatement in Maritime innovation initiative (MAMII) which is working to identify solutions and mechanisms for capturing, calculating and managing methane slip emissions, and best practices will be shared with industry to tackle this challenge. Additionally, community readiness levels (CRL) of methane and methanol production has been impacted by uncertainties around the scale-up of sustainably sourced carbon.

The Zero Carbon Fuel Monitor update also found that demand for biodiesel has increased, although long term availability of sustainable biofuel feedstock remains uncertain. Efforts to cultivate third-generation feedstocks (characterised by high yield and rapid growth rates) like macroalgae are underway, which can be used for advanced biofuels production.

Given these assessments, the Monitor identified key priority areas to drive the transition forward. A foremost priority is to develop demand profiles to minimise investment risks and create commercially viable business cases for zero-emission shipping. Complementing this is sustainable resource scale-up to enable adequate fuel production for future demand.

Policy consistency across the value chain globally will be essential for attracting investments. Fostering research, development and educational initiatives will help to drive the safe and sustainable adoption of zero carbon fuels, whilst the pace of technology development must be accelerated to meet evolving industry needs.

The Zero Carbon Fuel Monitor online web tool, developed by the LR Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, a joint initiative between Lloyd’s Register Group and Lloyd’s Register Foundation, is an insight-based assessment of fuels readiness that aims to provide the basis for effective decision making as the maritime sector navigates the journey to a decarbonised future.

Note: The Zero Carbon Fuel Monitor October 2023 Update report can be downloaded here.

Photo credit: Lloyd’s Register
Published: 13 October, 2023

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SIBCON 2024: Singapore bunker suppliers must provide e-BDN from 1 April 2025

Senior Minister of State Amy Khor also announced MPA will reduce the frequency of verification checks for mass flow meters from twice a year currently, to once a year, from 1 April 2025.

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October 9, 2024

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SIBCON 2024: Singapore bunker suppliers must provide e-BDN from 1 April 2025

From 1 April 2025, all bunker suppliers in the Port of Singapore will be required to provide digital bunkering services as a default, said Senior Minister of State for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor on Wednesday (9 October).

Khor said Singapore will be the first port globally to implement digital bunkering at scale. MPA launched the digital bunkering initiative on 1 November 2023, becoming the first port in the world to implement electronic bunker delivery notes (e-BDN).

“This initiative is expected to save the industry close to 40,000 man-days annually. In addition, MPA will introduce a centralised electronic Bunker Delivery Note record verification facility to enhance the transparency and integrity of transactions in bunkering operations,” she said in her speech at the 23rd Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON).

She emphasised that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will work closely with industry partners and the unions to digitalise and streamline processes to improve efficiency in our port; strengthen our capabilities for the bunkering of future fuels and encourage adoption of these fuels; and upskill our workforce to facilitate the green transition.

Khor also made the following announcements:

From 1 April 2025, MPA will reduce the frequency of verification checks for mass flow meters from twice a year currently, to once a year. Singapore was the first port globally to adopt mass flow meters in 2017, and this new move is expected to help the industry save approximately $300,000 annually.
From 1 January 2025, MPA will roll out two innovative AI applications, DocuMind and DocuMatch, developed in collaboration with cloud service providers to drive greater efficiency in our port. These are expected to accelerate certificate processing time from up to three days currently, to a few minutes for most transactions.
Two ammonia bunkering proposals by Mitsui and Fortescue-Equatorial Marine Fuels have been selected by the consortia for the next round of Request for Proposal to provide a low- or zero-carbon ammonia solution on Jurong Island for power generation and bunkering.
MPA will commit $50 million to support the implementation of the refreshed Maritime Singapore Green Initiative, to further encourage the early adoption of green fuels and technologies across the maritime industry.
Singapore will continue to strengthen international partnerships through initiatives like the Green and Digital Shipping Corridors (GDSCs) to enable the digitalisation and decarbonisation of shipping. On 9 October, MPA and the Shandong Provincial Transport Department will be signing the Singapore-Shandong GDSC at the sidelines of the 25th Singapore-Shandong Business Council co-chaired by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, and Mr Zhou Naixiang, Governor of the Shandong Provincial Government.

Photo credit: Singapore Ministry of Transport
Published: 9 October, 2024

LNG Bunkering

Seaspan Energy takes delivery of first LNG bunkering vessel

“Seaspan Garibaldi” will take first cargo and finalise commissioning in Vancouver before its first ship-to-ship bunkering in Long Beach, where Seaspan will bunker a series of vessels.

Published

6 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Admin

Seaspan Energy takes delivery of first LNG bunkering vessel “Seaspan Garibaldi”

Seaspan Energy on Monday (7 October) said it took delivery of its first LNG bunkering vessel, the Seaspan Garibaldi and is currently sailing to Vancouver.

Manifold Times previously reported that the vessel is the first of three 7,600m3 LNG bunkering vessels and it is named after Mount Garibaldi, or “Nch'ḵay̓”.

The Garibaldi will take first cargo and finalise commissioning in Vancouver before its first ship-to-ship bunkering in Long Beach, where Seaspan will provide Simultaneous Operations to bunker a series of vessels.

Following its first bunkering, the Seaspan Garibaldi will continue to provide low-carbon solutions to vessels on the West Coast of North America and will soon be joined by Seaspan Energy’s second LNG bunkering vessel, the Seaspan Lions (Ch’ich’iyúy Elxwíkn).

The Seaspan Garibaldi is 112.8 metres in length, 18.6 metres in width, 5 metres in draft, with a design speed of 13 knots.

CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (CIMC SOE), a small-scale gas carrier shipyard in the world, was appointed to build all three LNG bunkering vessels.

Photo credit: Seaspan
Published: 9 October, 2024

LNG Bunkering

Avenir LNG, Eni ink multi-year charter for LNG bunker vessel “Avenir Aspiration”

Avenir signed a Time Charter Party with Eni subsidiary LNG Shipping for one of the company’s 7,500cbm LNG bunker vessels; charter to Eni will commence from delivery in Europe in 2025.

Published

6 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Admin

Avenir LNG orders two 20,000cbm LNG bunker and supply vessels from CIMC SOE

Avenir LNG Limited on Tuesday (8 October) announced it has signed a Time Charter Party (TCP) with LNG Shipping S.p.A., a 100% subsidiary of Eni S.p.A.(Eni) for one of the company’s 7,500cbm LNG bunker vessels, the Avenir Aspiration.

The multi-year time charter to Eni will commence from delivery in Europe in 2025.

With this announcement, Avenir continues to deliver on its chartering strategy which has successfully concluded four new term charter agreements over the past 12 months across its fleet of five vessels on the water and two under construction.

This charter increases the company’s third-party charter revenue backlog, including options, to over USD 285 million, securing additional long term sustainable cashflow for the Group and shareholders over the next decade.

The Avenir Aspiration currently trades alongside the Avenir Ascension in the Northwest Europe performing small-scale supply services and ship-to-ship bunkering operations as part of Avenir’s physical LNG trading division, Avenir Supply and Trading.

Mr. Jonathan Quinn, Managing Director of Avenir LNG, said: “We are excited to be working with Eni to support their expansion into the LNG Bunkering market.”

“This transaction further solidifies Avenir as the trusted partner for modern and efficient small-scale LNG vessels as well as delivering on our strategy to facilitate the growth of LNG as a marine fuel globally.”

“We look forward to embarking on this long-term relationship with Eni whom we will serve with the highest safety and operational standards which Avenir has come to be known for.”

Photo credit: Avenir LNG
Published: 9 October, 2024