New report flags up importance of alternative fuels and OCCS in decarbonising shipping

One of the authors of a new report on the maritime energy transition has concluded that: ‘While operational measures provide moderate emissions reductions, shifting to alternative fuels and adopting on-board carbon capture and storage show significant promise in decarbonizing shipping and improving air quality.’

Writing on his LinkedIn page yesterday (23 July), Achilleas Grigoriadis said that the new report took a ‘deep dive into the impact of various decarbonisation strategies on both the environment and human health’.

In the concluding comments to their report, the authors said: ‘Operational measures are observed to moderately reduce emissions, primarily addressing short-term decarbonization goals, while technical measures, such as fuel shift and on-board CCS, offer a more promising path towards achieving net-zero GHG emissions, while minimizing SO2, PM and NOX emissions.’

They continued: ‘JIT [Just in time] operation emerges as [a] particularly effective measure in decreasing total emissions, resulting in 41% reduction in GHGs and 35% reduction in air pollutants for containerships, compared to slow steaming. Shore power, which allows ships to connect to the on-shore electricity grid while berthed at port, is proved highly efficient in reducing in-port emissions, with 30% decrease in GHGs and 25% reduction in air pollutants emissions compared to the present case.’

Regarding the technical measures, they continued: ‘Shifting to ammonia fuel produces the least total GHG emissions, although air pollutants are found relatively decreased, due to highly induced NOX emissions and the use of MGO as a pilot fuel. The utilisation of a CCS system for on-board CO2 capture is identified as an environmentally friendly solution, particularly when combined with LNG. This combination strikes the best trade-off balance between GHGs and air pollutants, when considering both total emissions and those emitted in-port. It is also proved to be cost-effective when considering external costs and carbon taxes.’

Click here to access the full report, Quantitative impact of decarbonization options on air pollutants from different ship types, written by Achilleas Grigoriadis, Sokratis Mamarikas and Leonidas Ntziachristos.

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