As the maritime sector moves along the path to 2050 and a zero-carbon future the sector still has no clear roadmap for the maritime fuel of the future.
What has become clear is that there
is no single ‘silver bullet’ for decarbonisation and therefore the industry must continue to work together investigate all the options. It requires practical and economical solutions and the ability for us to reduce emissions today as well as remove them for the future.
There are two crucial factors to consider if we are to win this
race towards the zero-carbon future and they are scalability and modularity of any system. The 2050 deadline is still some way in the distance and the is no obligation to comply with the all the 2050 requirements now. However, ship operators should have a strategy that details how they can progress over time to meet the requirements, this is what we are working on at RINA. This is at the core of our strategy at RINA where we are working on a concept that allows compliance to be achieved in a structured way along with the ship’s lifecycle. Rather than aiming at zero carbon on the ship now, which would be extremely difficult to achieve, we are developing a design that can improve a ship’s environmental performance step by step over time.
As an example of this work and the role that classification societies play, we have issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) of Swedish designer FKAB Marine Design’s hydrogen powered MR Tanker, the first AiP of a design using currently viable technology and fuels that achieves IMO 2050 targets. The propulsion is based on combining
the ship’s fuel (LNG) with steam to produce hydrogen and CO2. The MR LNG/hydrogen-fuelled vessel is the result of a joint project with ABB and Helbio.
To meet CO2 reduction targets, shipping is faced with the challenge of having solutions which either rely on fossil fuels, but which still require technology to mature, or on new, zero carbon fuels, the availability of which is still far from being guaranteed. This new de- sign enables the use of hydrogen as a fuel today without the need for bunkering and storage on board and exceeds IMO 2050 targets for 70 per cent reduction of carbon intensity.
The MR tanker design is based on combining LNG with steam in
a Helbio gas reformer to split LNG molecules into hydrogen and CO2. Hydrogen is then directly used to fuel the internal combustion engines and fuel cells in a hybrid marine power system by ABB. The CO2 is captured by splitting the LNG molecules, rather than from exhaust gas.
This is juts one way that classification societies can support decarbonisation with additional notations, such as RINA’s “Sustainable Ships”, and design approvals for future fuels. We are working in many areas for decarbonisation, including Approval in Principle
of dual fuel Methanol, dual fuel Ammonia, and many other environmentally friendly ship designs based on hybrid or fully electric propulsion.
To achieve the common goals of the maritime sector collaboration is not just important, it is essential. No one in this industry can tackle this challenge on its own. shipowners, designers, shipyards, classification societies, all stakeholders must work together to develop practical and feasible solutions rather than trying to invent the ultimate solution themselves for the prestige. Last year, as part of its broader decarbonisation program, RINA hosted the first Hellenic Decarbonisation Committee (HDC) that discussed improvements in technology, regulatory changes, digitally enabled services and the potential funding or financing of green technologies to benefit the entire industry. Recently that committee submitted a proposal that will allow derated engines to be unsealed for
shipowners to test their engine at the full power and then reseal them. It may not be a ground-breaking achievement but a small, very practical outcome of our Hellenic collaboration.
We have already begun the decarbonisation journey to a low carbon future, and we will continue to support the sector with our expertise. Ultimately, we will continue to strive to provide innovative and forward-looking services and support to ensure the shipping industry continues to gain efficiency, ensure safety, and finds practical, viable pathways for a zero-carbon future.
* Senior Director at RINA