Alfa Laval is able to give solutions on every kind of vessel and is looking the future in the marine industry with high focus in the alternative fuel technology, according to Mr. Dimitris Poulos, Marine Division Manager Adriatic Region – Managing Director Alfa Laval Greece.
Mr Poulos answers in an interesting interview provide answers and describes how Alfa Laval strives to continuously improve its own sustainability, aiming to be carbon neutral across the value chain by 2030, in what ways Alfa Laval will head development initiatives, with the aim to find scalable solutions for noncarbon fuels for the shipping industry and he explains how Alfa Laval is going to lead the way forward. The complete interview follows:
As the marine industry pursues decarbonization and transitions to new fuels, a wide range of technologies will be needed to boost energy efficiency and maintain the energy balance on board. What are the solutions that provides Alfa Laval today and in the near future?
Alfa Laval is looking the future in the marine industry with high focus in the alternative fuel technology, as always had an expertise in fuel treatment , and also to all technologies that are giving energy efficiency on board. Through our own R&D , alliances, acquisitions, joint ventures & minor stake holding in new start ups , we are trying to develop more our know how in new technologies that will lead future decarbonization & energy efficiency equipment. Currently we are already in the fourth generation of scrubbers & preparing the new version after the last MEPC guidelines, we have a new Waste Heat Recovery system , and new energy storage system the E Power Pack. Also already we supply methanol booster systems, we test fuel cells in our R&D center, we have a new joint venture with Wallenious to design & produce wind boost systems , and recently we are minor stakeholders of the company MPS , a company that produces air lubrication systems for fuel oil energy savings. The above are some of the new products & developments , for sure more will come in the near future, ALFA LAVAL wants to lead the way forward.
Alfa Laval takes part to the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization, which comes from leading voices across the maritime value chain. In what ways Alfa Laval, its partners, its customers and others in the marine industry are working to achieve the decarbonization we all know must happen?
The targets of the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization are in line with the sustainability work already occurring within Alfa Laval’s scope. With the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 in focus, Alfa Laval strives to continuously improve its own sustainability, aiming to be carbon neutral across the value chain by 2030. Alfa Laval is a member of the Getting to Zero Coalition, which initiated the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonization and established the task force to develop it. Through the Call to Action, we and our co-signatories are asking governments for a robust approach to climate change, importantly, that involves not only setting more ambitious maritime goals, but also creating the conditions to make those goals achievable. While technologies for zero-emission vessels exist, they need to be further developed and brought up to scale. Likewise, they need to become financially viable for shipowners to adopt. National initiatives and global coordination are needed to make this happen, along with market incentives to make zero-emission fuels more attractive compared to traditional choices. Mari- time businesses should see opportunity in taking swift steps towards decarbonization, rather than additional risk. Alfa Laval is at the forefront of new fuel and energy management technologies, and we believe that decarbonization can be achieved while protecting shipowner competitiveness.
We now that it is not only the setting for ambitious maritime goals, but also to create the conditions to make those goals achievable. How difficult is this?
As we explained before , this is very complicated. Targets must be financially viable in order shipowners to adopt. And there are some many stakeholders in the process that have to be aligned. In the
end will be a cost for the alignment that this will be transferred to the cost of transportation operations. How ready are governments to absorb this increase of cost? See what is happening with the energy prices and how much governmental policies are vibrating.
In any case, a strong financial help will be needed in order maritime industry to be decarbonized and for sure this has to be done step by step in order to absorption of additional costs to be done smoothly. As a conclusion, we, our partners, our customers and others in the marine industry are working to achieve the decarbonization we all know must happen. The private sector can and must work faster, but a global framework of policies, resources and financial incentives is needed to make that feasible.
Both short-term and long-term solutions will be needed to achieve IMO Greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. According to your opinion what will be the short-term and long term solutions follow- ing the path to achieve these targets?
Energy efficiency solutions for sure will come earlier as there is al- ready the technology and suppliers are working mainly on feasibility & optimization. Already is well applied , the air lubrication, waste hear recovery, power storage etc. In short term we believe that we will have emission reduction & control systems & in long term the alternative fuel propulsion that by far is the biggest challenge not only from technological point of feasibility on board but also from the supply chain point of view. Seems that on the fuel aspect , the LNG will be work for sure as intermediate fuel for a lot of years ahead. The point is that on 2030 , some solutions have to be ready
since ships have a lifetime of 20 years or more, zero-emission vessels must begin entering the global fleet by 2030 for a 50 percent reduction to be achieved by 2050.
Decarbonizing the marine industry will demand a wide range of emission-reducing technologies in addition to new fuels. Is going to be only one new fuel supported by one technology or different fuels with different technologies?
Same as it is happening with LNG, the question will not be only what fuel will be feasible for using on board but also how easy & cost wise feasible will be his storage & transportation and how dependent
will be from state infrastructure or not. So, the puzzle is even more difficult as right now still technology is not well applied for several fuels for propulsion that will be major parameter for evaluation in order to after the community to study the infrastructure challenges. For this reason initiatives as “Call to Action” are necessary in order to be a well coordinated approach when are existing the full data for the correct evaluation of the different fuels.
Ammonia is widely seen by many companies as the ideal fuel for tomorrow’s zero-carbon operations. How ready is Alfa Laval to deal with this option?
Ammonia has some good characteristics from the thermodynamic point of view to be the fuel of the future but there are a lot of concerns about its toxicity and how safe will be the use of it on board especially in passenger vessels. For this reason , Alfa Laval – as world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling – has joined a project with DTU Energy, Haldor Topsoe, Svitzer and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon to accelerate first the development of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology, which can use green fuels to generate electricity. Alfa Laval will head simi- lar development initiatives, with the aim to find scalable solutions for noncarbon fuels for the shipping industry.
In a recent statement Peter Sahlén, Head of Alfa Laval PureBallast underlined that “We are growing with our customers, and the future of ballast water treatment installations is undoubtedly in Asia”. What is the meaning behind this statement?
The scope of ballast installations was mainly for retrofits the last five (5) years and the NB ones were much less than these. So , the majority of the makers, especially the European ones, have focused on the retrofit trends where the Far East ones have given priority to the new vessels built on their area. But when the retrofits will finish on 2024, then the main market will be the replacement business & the New Building one. And as all we know the 90% of the shipbuild- ing activity belongs to Far East where ALFA LAVAL has already very strong establishment, factories but also competence & service Ballast centers. This turn of business is something very crucial as the organization today is built on the challenging mode of retrofits where in the future has to be configured in the new vessel one.
According to Peter Sahlén, Head of Alfa Laval PureBallast, “A ballast water treatment system should last as long as the vessel, and we are committed supporting PureBallast customers throughout that lifetime. No matter when they made their purchase, Alfa Laval is behind them.” How important is that statement for the shipowner and how difficult is to make it reality?
Pure Ballast, as any other system that started the journey from 2012, has been passed from several versions and when the stricter rules of USCG & D2 have arrived , again the systems had to be con- figured in the new regulations. Alfa Laval with our very strong service organization , we are in place and really committed to make services & supply spares for all the relevant versions of PB. Also Alfa Laval
is giving Service Compliance Packages that are ensuring that their system will be always in compliance with regulations and can sup- port them in all the major ports of the world. Not so easy for every maker, as needs global network & will trained engineers thus there is not experience on board and usually shipowners are relying mainly on the maker’s availability & capabilities to be on board & solve their technical issues.
How closely has been working Alfa Laval with its marine customers to secure their daily operations and keep them prepared for tomorrow even as the shipping industry has been heavily hit by the current pandemic?
Pandemic really was a crisis very challenging for shipping & all relevant stakeholders. Travelling has become very difficult and also the presence of relevant superintendents from shipowners on board was not always easy. A lot of technical issues have to be solved by relevant distance. Alfa Laval with relevant global footprint & network was able to anticipate & really help our customers on the retrofit journey as especially in China we have a local competence center & more than 50 marine engineers that make our service scope much easily anticipated. Also the supply chain was not so hardly affected as usually AL is using European sub suppliers and there were not
so many challenges to succeed realistic delivery times & actually our delivery plans for our major equipment portfolio has not been disturbed.
As far as PureBallast 3 is concerned, in what ways you will continue to build your offering with specific answers for different vessel types?
Alfa Laval is able to give solutions on every kind of vessel. Of course our UV system have some specific advantages in lower capacities but we are able to give systems & competitive solutions to all kind of vessels except the very large tankers & Bulk carriers. But our service & continuity superiority plus the global footprint are making more & more shipowners of tankers & bulk carriers to consider UV technology as a best fit on their needs and to prefer Alfa Laval as preferred supplier on their fleets.
* Marine Division Manager Adriatic Region – Managing Director Alfa Laval Greece