Alternative Fuels – Prospects for the Shipping Industry

ABSTRACT: Emissions from the sea transport sector are one of the major contributors to the climate change due to extreme dependency on fossil fuels. Environmental revolution has pushed shipping to focus significantly on the potential application of different cleaner fuels and sustainable source of energy solutions. The global shipping industry is considering alternative fuel options that meet economic feasibility and safety requirements. There is a variety of alternative fuel types available for shipping, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, hydrogen, ethanol, ammonia and others. For many years, the advantages and disadvantages of using selected alternative fuels have been analysed from the point of view of sea transport costs. This paper presents the basic parameters for comparing different fuels, the characteristics needed to adopt alternative fuels in maritime transport. In addition, it provides an overview of the main technical challenges and drivers for the adoption of alternative marine fuels assessed through infrastructural, economic and environmental dimensions.

KEYWORDS: MARPOL Convention, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Shipping Industry, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Modular Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), Ammonium Nitrate, Marine Diesel Oil (MDO)

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Citation note:

Popek M.: Alternative Fuels – Prospects for the Shipping Industry. TransNav, the International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation, Vol. 18, No. 1, doi:10.12716/1001.18.01.01, pp. 25-33, 2024

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