The energy of the future

Heavy fuel oil and diesels like EN950 have always, until now, been the fuel of the inland and sea shipping industry. However, times are changing and so is the vision on fossil fuel. Laws and regulations, the public opinion and environmental changes have ensured that the shipping industry is reconsidering the fuels they are using and is looking at cleaner solutions.

According to the The Future of Shipping (2014), a report published by DNV GL, the international shipping industry is responsible for the emission of 22 million tonnes of NOx, 12 million tonnes of SOx and 900 million tonnes of CO2 (in 2008). In the latter case, this is three per cent of the total manmade emissions.

The growth of the world economy and population will lead to an increasing demand and use of the shipping industry, while emissions must be lowered according to (inter)national laws and regulations. Think of the CCR (EU Stage IV), Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA), and IMO Tier 3 regulations. For SECA, less sulphur content is allowed for fuels used on the North Sea, the English Channel and Baltic Sea in 2015, reducing this from the current one per cent limit to 0.1 per cent, following the IMO decisions. For IMO Tier 3, in 2016 new marine diesel engines have to be about 70 per cent cleaner on NOx in appointed areas (Nitrogen Emission Controlled Areas , NECA).

Sustainable shipping

Although the shipping industry is still the cleanest mean of transportation – the emissions are around one third lower compared to road transport because of a lower energy consumption per tonne-kilometre – the change to cleaner fuels is inevitable. Dan Veen of TNO: ”Other modalities are becoming cleaner every year, while the shipping industry is staying behind. Although it will require a major investment in short term, it is essential that changes are being made. For too long the industry was lacking laws and regulations in the area of emissions. However, the only way the industry will change for the long term is when the conditions are equal for all parties. So everybody must comply to the new rules, but everybody must also be able to meet the new demands.”

Khalid Tachi, director of the Expertise and Innovation Centre Inland Shipping (EICB): ”For the inland shipping industry the laws and regulations are the most important drive to think about reducing our emissions and use more sustainable fuel. Secondly, alternative fuels like LNG offer economical solutions, as it is 20 per cent cheaper than gas oil, which makes it possible to even earn money after you have broken even your investment. Lastly, the public opinion and pressure from third parties like municipalities and ports also play a small part in the wish for changes.”

A cleaner engine

Roughly said, it is possible to distinguish three main sorts of cleaner energy sources that can propel the shipping industry. The first is biofuel, the second is electricity (even better when generated by renewable sources like the sun) and the last is the hybrid form of propulsion. ”LNG has the potential to become the fuel of choice for all shipping segments, provided the infrastructure is in place, while liquid biofuels could gradually also replace oil-based fuels. Electricity from the grid will most likely be used more and more to charge batteries for ship operations in ports, but also for propulsion”, reads the conclusion of the report of DNV GL. Next to this, there are of course other options like using energy more efficient by for example sail slower, and the use of after-treatment like scrubbers.

Environmentally friendly

Biofuels are for example bioLNG, ethanol and hydrogen, when they are produced environmentally friendly. Biofuels can be produced from eatable crops, non-eatable crops and algae, and can also be mixed with fossil fuels. The challenge with biofuels is the production of enough fuel to supply the industry. Veen: “A lot of fuels are called sustainable, but are actually not. When you mine natural gas from the earth it is still a fossil fuel, but you can also produce LNG from sustainable sources like cow manure. Also it is important that biofuels do not compete with food, or cause the destruction of rain forest. I think that LNG, or bioLNG, will be the most popular sustainable fuel in the near future, however I also think on short terms a lot of shipping companies will continue to sail on diesel while using scrubbers for example. When properly done, LNG will reduce CO2 emissions with 20 per cent, eliminate SOx emissions and particulate matters and reduce NOx emission considerably.”

Tachi: ”Currently LNG has the most potential in the inland shipping industry, some vessels in the Dutch inland shipping industry are already using LNG as their fuel. Examples are the Argonon, the first European vessel to sail partly on LNG, and the Greenstream and her two sister ships which are the first vessels to fully sail on LNG.”

The Swedish company Stena Line, which is also based in the Netherlands, is experimenting with methanol as sustainable propulsion for their vessels. They have developed a project which will end in the last quarter of 2015, whereby their vessel Stena Germanica will be converted to become the first methanol-fuelled ship in the world, making use of the direct injection technique. Methanol is mainly produced from natural gas, but in the future methanol produced from biomass is likely to become more common.

Steaming on electricity

”Next to LNG as sustainable fuel for the inland shipping industry we see that hybrid solutions are becoming more popular. The trend is that most of the newly built or refitted vessels have hybrid characteristics. The Goblin is one of the many hybrid vessels”, says Tachi. These inland vessels, can sail fully electrically, electrically with diesel assistance, on diesel with electric assistance or just on diesel.

Veen: ”In the sea shipping industry there are also some initiatives with hybrid solutions. Think for example of the hybrid tug RT Adriaan owned by Kotug.” This was the first hybrid tugboat in Europe, which can sail on diesel, diesel-electrically or fully electrically. Another good example is again given by Stena Line, which has been using shore power in the Port of Rotterdam since 2012. This means that vessels no longer need to continue running their engines while moored but can make use of shore power. “As the engine is no longer running to generate electricity, less harmful emissions are emitted”, said Melanie Schultz van Haegen, minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, during the opening of the shore power facilities.

The future

Which propulsion will be the choice of the shipping industry in the future is unclear. DNV GL states: ”The introduction of any alternative energy source will take place at a very slow pace, as technologies mature and necessary infrastructure becomes available.” Tachi:”I think that by 2050 the options for more sustainable propulsions in the inland shipping industry will be LNG and hybrid solutions. However, first these need to develop, mature and expand amongst the industry.”

Veen continues: “At the moment there is a lot of resistance against the new emission rules in the industry. I think we need to accept that it is going to happen, although at first it will hurt. For the long run it is a necessity to innovate and develop the maritime industry, otherwise we will lose our advantage as a clean modality and will be passed by other transport modalities like road transport. The industry should turn the disadvantage into an advantage and unite to make this possible.”

Anne Kregting