Innovation Aboard: Vessel Sustainability in 2024
The advancements that the maritime industry has made in sustainability over the past several years are impressive. With a goal of reducing supply chain emissions in sight, the industry has explored running large vessels on lower-emitting alternative fuels. Vessel designers are becoming more conscientious about crafting ships that result in lower fuel consumption and drag, and vessel engines are being created to run on both conventional fuels and alternative fuels.
While we can celebrate our recent successes, what’s exciting is that there are even more advancements to unlock as the maritime industry pursues eco-friendly practices even further. In past blog posts, Searoutes has explored how our cutting-edge technology allows organizations to analyze the emissions output across the length of the supply chain so that they can make educated decisions about implementing their sustainability initiatives. This blog post will look at vessel operators’ contributions to reducing supply chain emissions.
As the Supply Chain Struggles to Lower Emissions, Vessels Prove Stubborn Polluters
Because of their large size, traditional maritime vessels have often been the target of discussions about how to reduce emissions along the supply chain. According to data analysis firm Statista, the international shipping sector accounts for about 10% of global transportation sector emissions, and that percentage could rise as global shipping only increases. Furthermore, carbon emissions within the international shipping sector have roughly doubled since 1990, the firm said.
These increases in emissions output come as governments worldwide, such as the European Union, are actively seeking to encourage supply chain stakeholders to reduce their emissions output to combat climate change. For instance, the EU’s emissions trading scheme…
To meet regulatory requirements and to do their part to combat climate change, shippers and carriers alike are turning to innovative alternatives to traditional vessels to reduce supply chain emissions. These alternatives focus on reducing fuel consumption or promoting energy efficiency by tinkering with fuel types, power sources, and vessel design.
Building Sustainable Maritime Logistics: Three Approaches
To reduce GHG emissions effectively, vessel operators and carriers need to use a multi-prong approach to attack the problem from different angles. Three of the approaches include using alternative fuels that result in lower carbon emissions, alternative power sources such as hybrid engines that can run on traditional fossil fuels and alternative fuels, and innovations in vessel design, including retrofits of older vessels, that result in greater energy efficiency rewards.
Alternative Fuels
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergies Technology Office, which performs research and development and the demonstration of low- and net-zero-carbon sustainable marine fuels, “large vessels need energy-dense fuels to support global voyages.”
Carriers today are looking at liquefied natural gas and methanol to power their ships. But there are other options being explored, including what DOE calls “drop-in fuels,” such as renewable diesel, biodiesel and bio-crude, which might be able to be used in existing infrastructure and marine engines without major modifications.
Meanwhile, emerging marine fuels that might result in zero or near-zero carbon emissions and that are also being explored include bio-methanol lignin-alcohol mixes, as well as bio-based natural gas, according to DOE.
Alternative Power Sources
In addition to alternative fuels, carriers are also looking at alternative power sources such as hybrid engines, which can run on traditional fuels as well as alternative fuels. Beyond hybrid engines are electric engines that use hydrogen fuel cells, such as the technology being developed by battery manufacturer Ballard Power Systems.
Innovation in Vessel Design
Design considerations matter when considering emissions reductions from vessels because the right designs encourage fuel and energy efficiency by minimizing the effects of drag while boosting propulsion through wind-assisted propulsion systems. Design innovations include not only the creation of next-generation vessels with re-engineered hull spaces but also the retrofit of older ones to maximize their lifespan. Vessel design is also an area where researchers are taking advantage of machine learning to come up with sustainable yet practical ideas.
Facing Pressure from Regulators and Consumers Alike, Carriers Invest in Sustainable Fuel Sources
From methanol to liquefied natural gas, carriers are investing in greener fuels so that they can comply with emissions reduction regulations worldwide and slash their emissions output considerably by the mid-century.
Hapag-Lloyd Invests in LNG
Vessel operator Hapag-Lloyd and Shell Western LNG in February 2023 signed a multi-year agreement in which Shell will supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to power twelve of Hapag-Lloyd’s ultra-large, dual-fuel container vessels. These vessels are larger than 23,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
Hapag-Lloyd began deploying these vessels in the second half of last year on Europe-Far East routes. The vessels call at major ports such as Rotterdam, Hamburg, Singapore, and Shanghai, according to Hapag-Lloyd.
Hapag-Lloyd says that using LNG reduces the CO2 intensity of these vessels by up to 23% than conventional fuels. The fuel also enables an “almost complete reduction of particle emissions,” according to the vessel operator, and helps Hapag-Lloyd reach its goal of becoming net-zero carbon by 2045.
CMA CGM Looks Beyond Diesel
CMA CGM is another vessel operator using LNG to power select ships. The company decided to use LNG in 2017, viewing its environmental benefits over fuel oil.
Now, 20 LNG-powered vessels are used for Europe-Asia routes. They include nine vessels of 23,000 TEUs, five vessels of 15,000 TEUs, and six vessels of 1,400 TEUs. Of these six smaller vessels, CMA CGM says three have been delivered to Containerships, an intra-Europe expert subsidiary.
Maersk Makes its Mark with Methanol
While Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM are using LNG to make some of their sea routes greener, Maersk is using methanol. Earlier this year, the vessel operator laid out plans to introduce methanol-fueled ships into its fleet for routes between Europe and Asia. In January, Maersk announced that it christened the “Ane Mærsk” in Ulsan, South Korea. Maersk says the 16,000 TEUs vessel is the first of Maersk’s 18 large methanol-enabled vessels that will be delivered between 2024 and 2025. In April, Maersk named a second methanol-enabled vessel, the “Astrid Mærsk” in Yokohama, Japan.
Maersk hopes to equip 25 of its container vessels with dual-fuel engines that can run on methanol. The vessel operator’s efforts to use greener fuel options come as it set a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target for 2040.
Maritime Emissions Reductions: One Piece of the Puzzle
The maritime industry is under increasing pressure to enhance sustainability, facing significant challenges in reducing vessel emissions. Traditional maritime vessels contribute heavily to pollution, and transitioning to greener practices is complex. However, carriers are turning to innovative solutions to meet these challenges. This article explores three key approaches to vessel sustainability: alternative fuels, power sources, and vessel design, and it looks at how industry leaders like Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, and Maersk are pioneering sustainable fuel sources such as LNG and methanol.
While these three approaches are great options for reducing vessel emissions, the broader goal of reducing supply chain emissions isn’t fully met until organizations are able to gauge their emissions output along the length of the supply chain. This data can be valuable not only in developing company metrics but also in sharing with regulators what progress has been made.
As a data analysis provider, Searoutes can help organizations compare the emissions output of various vessel routes, monitor the emissions of individual vessels, and view the emissions output along the length of the supply chain. Contact us today to learn more and get started.