By: Botho Steinvorth Koberg

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has chosen the following theme for World Maritime Day 2022: “New Technologies for Greener Shipping,” according to the IMO “reflects the need to support a green transition of the maritime sector towards a sustainable future, leaving no one behind.”

As reported on the IMO website, Kitack Lim, the secretary-general, said they are in a green transition of the shipping industry striving for a sustainable future. New technologies for greener shipping also provide an opportunity to showcase maritime innovation, research, development, demonstration, and deployment of best practices, including innovative financial and support solutions.

How can the carbon footprint of the shipping industry be reduced?

According to the ‘Maritime Forecast to 2050’ report by DNV in 2021, 12% of new ships being built use alternative fuels, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of international shipping by 40% by 2030.

One solution accepted by the maritime industry to decarbonize is advanced biofuels, made from organic waste that have the capacity to reduce CO2 emissions by 65% to 90%, thereby developing synthetic fuels, which are zero net emissions and are achieved from capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and renewable hydrogen. Another option that has been presented is the use of renewable hydrogen. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), by 2050 hydrogen-based fuels could account for 60% of the energy mix.

Solar energy is also an option for powering boats, but mostly for recreational craft. Electric power is also a viable option for short-distance routes. Hybrid engines have been used on occasion.

According to Naucher Global’s May 2022 publication, new data released reveals that the global maritime sector will need the equivalent of the entire current demand for renewable energy to replace the use of fossil fuels.

 The report ‘Driving the Fourth Propulsion Revolution’, prepared by Dr. Stefan Ulreich, professor at Germany’s University of Applied Sciences, and commissioned by the International Chamber Shipping (ICS), highlights the “huge opportunity” for investors and governments in the need for new green fuels for the global maritime sector.

According to the report, to reach the goal of zero (net) emissions by 2050, the fuel needs of the maritime sector would require an increase in electricity from renewable sources of up to 3,000 TWh. This is equivalent to the entire current global renewable energy production. The report concludes that, to reach the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Zero Net Emissions scenario in 2050, the world would need an 18-fold increase in renewable production capacity from today.

There is abundant renewable potential, such as solar and wind energy, in many countries in Africa and Latin America, which can generate the electricity needed for the production of hydrogen fuels at a lower cost. According to the European Documentation Center in Almeria, the expected results for the March 2022 Harnessing Renewable Energy for Maritime Transport, indicate that “the project outputs and outcomes are expected to contribute concretely to the following expected results, marked with an “*”, while supporting the overall medium and long-term objectives: Renewable energy assistance is commercially viable and deployed at scale in commercial shipping and maritime operations, contributing significantly to making waterborne transport climate neutral.

In the medium term, enable widespread adoption of automated wind technologies for long-sea shipping.

  • Through large-scale demonstration, demonstrate the large-scale feasibility of on-board power generation and propulsion assistance systems that harvest renewable energy such as wind and solar.
  • System designs (including modular/drop-in) to reduce costs and increase confidence in retrofitting more suitable existing vessels, addressing various vessel types and different forms of renewable energy.
  • System designs including energy management architectures and energy efficiency solutions (including wind-assisted and wind-based propulsion) for new purpose-built vessels, including “wind-ready” designs. Demonstration of an efficiency increase of at least 15% for power generation or at least 25% for propulsion.
  • Provision of a summary and analysis of relevant regulatory issues and how to address them.
  • Documentation of crew qualification requirements and incentives for the different ship types and renewable energies adopted.