NEW FUELS
TECHNICAL
Pathways to decarbonisation
Simplifying new fuel choices for vessel operators is key to managing the transition to a carbon neutral future, writes Georgios Plevrakis, director of global sustainability, ABS.
T
he shipping industry is being challenged daily by the need to improve its environmental performance and reduce its
contribution to climate change. The debate is welcome, but the result is often a welter of competing voices discussing solutions that are still far from commercial availability.
Rather less attention is paid to what owners can do in the shorter term to begin to manage the transition to a carbon neutral future. This confusion is more than theoretical; a situation in which owners weigh their options for the future risks a slowdown in newbuildings.
For cruise operators in particular there is a need to adopt solutions that reduce pollution emissions in the near term as well as seeking ways to manage contribution to climate change over time. This has seen some major operators throw their weight behind LNG as a fuel that can comply with IMO2020 and which can potentially deliver GHG emissions reductions.
ABS has identified three fuel pathways potentially open to shipping, all of which have some applicability to the cruise market:
LNG or light gas
The first can be defined as ‘LNG or light gas’, using generally light, small molecule fuels with high energy content, but more demanding, mainly cryogenic fuel supply
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systems and storage. This group includes the relatively mature methane (as LNG) solution leading towards bio-derived or synthetic methane, and ultimately to hydrogen as fuel.
LPG/Methanol
The second pathway is defined as ‘LPG/ Methanol’, by using generally heavier, more complex molecules with lower energy content, but with less demanding fuel supply and storage requirements than the light gas pathway. This group includes LPG, methanol and ethanol, leading to bio-derived or synthetic LPG/methanol and ultimately to ammonia.
Bio/synthetic fuels
The third pathway hinges on bio/synthetic fuels that are derived from renewable sources and can produce liquid fuels. These fuels have similar properties to diesel oil and thus are much less demanding in terms of new infrastructure and technologies onboard and can be utilised with minimal changes to current ship designs.
The selection of the most appropriate fuel pathway and related technology is certainly a challenge, which includes considerations of the vessel’s size and design, as well as evaluation of whether lower or higher energy content fuels will best match its operational profile.
For owners considering vessel orders in the next five years, the choice is effectively
By studying future fuels and by considering the degree to which electrical propulsion systems and new energy efficiency technologies will play a role in future, shipowners can best position themselves in the marketplace. Our approach is to simplify this complex problem and enable shipowners to make informed decisions about the fuels and systems that are right for their assets and operation.
At ABS, we see our role as a continuum by supporting the industry in understanding the nature of this challenge. ABS is fuel and technology agnostic; we are working with owners and shipyards to identify the right path for their specific vessels and business case to deliver safe, practical, and simple solutions.
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between LNG, methanol and LPG since these will provide a pathway to carbon neutral and ultimately zero carbon fuels. By 2030, owners can expect that the options of carbon neutral fuels will be sufficient to provide them with the required blending capacity.
Shipowners can take some steps to future- proof their vessels, starting with designs that assume the greater use of electrical propulsion to reduce the fuel consumption of the vessels. This philosophy assumes that the electricity can be produced from any fuel pathway and can be used for propulsion or power generation onboard, using batteries or fuel cells for full or partial load operation.
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