Study: 49 new bunker tankers required to prepare Germany for renewable bunker fuels by 2050

A study, commissioned by NOW GmbH and conducted by Ramboll consultancy, found 49 new bunker vessels will be needed in the North Sea and Baltic Sea to supply expected ship calls at German seaports, according to NOW GmbH recently. 

The study titled Refuelling infrastructure for low-carbon and renewable marine fuels in Germany analysed how bunker sales of low-carbon and renewable fuels could develop in German seaports and inland ports.

In addition to the bunker volumes of alternative fuels to be made available in the future, the study also focused on the number and size of bunker vessels required to cover the potential demand in Germany and an estimate of the costs arising from the construction of these vessels.

The study shed light on the supply potential and provides recommendations for measures and strategies to expand bunkering capacities for sustainable marine fuels in Germany. 

Supported by an advisory board of experts from the shipping industry, the bunkering industry, the port industry and environmental organisations, the study examined the following aspects:

• The status quo of port calls and bunker volumes: While port calls have remained constant over the last two decades, bunker volumes of conventional fossil fuels used in maritime shipping in Germany have tended to decline since 2016. Bunker demand in inland shipping, on the other hand, has remained constant since 2007.
• Development of future fuel options: It is anticipated, however, that alternative fuels such as LNG, methanol, ammonia and hydrogen, which increasingly have to be produced from renewable sources, will play an important role in the defossilisation of shipping in the future. Over 90 per cent of the bunker volume in 2050 is expected to be used for these fuels.
• Bunker volume scenarios: The study outlines scenarios for an increasing demand for precisely these fuels, in particular also due to increasingly stringent climate protection requirements for shipping, in combination with a lower volumetric energy density of these fuels compared to conventional fuels (fuel tanks and bunker intensities are increasing).
• Bunker ships and bunker facilities: The analysis shows in particular a need for new bunker ships: By 2050, 13 small, 5 large and 4 very large bunker vessels will be needed in the North Sea alone to supply the expected ship calls at German seaports, while 22 small, 2 medium and 3 large bunker vessels will be needed in the Baltic Sea.

Kurt-Christoph von Knobelsdorff, CEO and spokesperson for NOW GmbH, said: “The pressure on the shipping industry to make its contribution towards tackling climate change is growing.”

“Ever stricter regulations concerning the reduction of CO2 emissions require not only efficiency measures but also the increasing use of low-carbon and renewable marine fuels.”

“The study provides guidance for the development of corresponding bunkering infrastructures in Germany. The development of a robust bunker market for climate-friendly marine fuels can become an attractive service offering for German ports in international competition.”

Note: The short version of the study in English can be found here while the full version of the study in German can be downloaded here.

Photo credit: Shaah Shahidh on Unsplash
Published: 7 May 2024