ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø

Collaboration across the chain

Christian Veldhuis, Department manager Performance at Sea at research institute MARIN kicked-off by sketching some of the main challenges in achieving zero emission shipping. ‘The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has declared its ambition to achieve climate neutrality close to 2050,’ he explained. One of the ways to get there, is by changing to alternative fuels. At the moment though, there is a lack of sustainable, zero-carbon fuels that match the demands of the sector. ‘One of the main issues is the required energy density of alternative fuels,’ he said. ‘And we have to think about the supply chain: how and where do we get the fuel on the ship? The problem is that shipping and fuel supply are two different sectors, which we need to bring together.’

Polluter pays frontrunner

Collaboration between different actors in the chain is key to making the change, agreed Nick Lurkin, Senior Adviser Climate and Environment at the KVNR, representing shipowners based in the Netherlands. ‘At the moment, cleaner fuels are way more expensive than fossils. And you should realize that the fuel costs make up 50 tot 60 percent of the total costs of a shipping company.’ Besides the economics of sustainability, another important factor is the regulatory framework the shipping companies are confronted with. ‘The gamechanger toward decarbonizing shipping is the net-zero framework that has been proposed by the IMO. They suggested a scheme in which polluting companies pay additional fees, which go directly to frontrunners, rewarding them for their efforts toward greening their fleet. Unfortunately, due to the geopolitical situation, this framework still hasn’t been adopted by all UN members.’

Nick Lurkin: The gamechanger toward decarbonizing shipping is the net-zero framework that has been proposed by the IMO.

Try before you buy

Dewi Wesselman from Damen Shipyards Group illustrated how her company is actively greening its vessels. ‘Our current CEO has committed to turning Damen into the most sustainable and digital maritime solutions provider. To that end, we are looking at the design of the vessels themselves, but also at the energy efficiency of the systems on board. We develop technology to minimize the frictional forces in the water, other power solutions to add to the fossil fuels, and exhaust aftertreatment methods. In addition to this, we optimize the operation of the vessel through digitalization.’ The company is also exploring innovative business models. ‘For example, we are experimenting with a model we called Try before you buy, in which companies can for example lease an electric tugboat for a year, and if they like it, buy it.’

Batteries as enabler

In his presentation, Arjan Kirkels, Assistant Professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, explored the potential of battery technology. ‘The maritime sector is about more than large container ships alone. A wide variety of vessels should be taken into account when assessing the potential use of batteries.’ Of all of the possible measures that can be taken to green the fleet, batteries are now the most frequently applied, he said, mostly in newly built, hybrid ships. ‘Batteries should be regarded as an enabling technology for the transition toward a greener fleet. Having said that, we will never see all-electric large container ships or bulk carriers.’

Arjan Kirkels: Batteries should be regarded as an enabling technology for the transition toward a greener fleet

No silver bullet

What will future vessels be powered by then? As part of the SH2IPDRIVE project, PhD candidate Erin van Rheenen from TU Delft is focusing on hydrogen-based alternative fuels. ‘We are looking into chemicals that can store and release hydrogen to circumvent safety issues and achieve higher energy densities.’ When comparing the possible hydrogen carriers, there is no silver bullet, she warned. There are always trade-offs between energy density and safety. ‘I see most potential in ammonia borane, but at the moment, that is still at too low a TRL level and way too expensive to be implemented any time soon.’

Start small

After hearing the five presentations, one could become pessimistic about the feasibility of a net-zero shipping sector. Yet, in the closing panel discussion, the speakers managed to end on a higher note. ‘We can simply start with implementing batteries on small vessels to show what is already possible,’ said Christian Veldhuis. ‘Or even on containerships, where you do the first and last mile on batteries, sailing in and out of ports with less emissions and noise,’ Nick Lurkin added. ‘We need to collaborate to innovate,’ concluded Dewi Wesselman, nicely summarizing the main take away message of a lively afternoon.