Bureau Veritas (BV) has launched a detailed outlook on future maritime fuels in a new white paper, which calls for a “well-to-wake” (WtW) approach to assessing the climate impact and sustainability of alternative fuels.
The white paper details alternative fuels for the shipping industry, considering technological maturity, availability, safety, emissions and regulations.
Adopting a well-to-wake approach in its evaluations, the analysis covers the industry’s changing needs resulting from its energy transition and decarbonization ambitions.
First, the white paper outlines the current marine fuel landscape and the challenges that lie ahead in decarbonizing the shipping industry. Then it presents an overview of different alternative fuels, including their advantages and challenges.
We approach issues such as availability and well-to-wake emissions, situating them in their real-world global and regional regulatory context
said BV.
A well-to-wake approach accounts for all GHG emissions released from the extraction or production phase, the distribution of the fuel, through to the final use onboard vessels, as opposed to just the emissions resulting from combustion on board.
As a result, the white paper calls for a sustainable fuel production pathway for alternative fuels, highlighting that even carbon-free fuels may have a carbon-intensive supply chain that means they could generate higher WtW emissions than the fossil fuels they intend to replace.
This positions electrofuels (e-fuels), which are produced from renewable energy, as well as sustainably sourced biofuels, as some of the most promising options to decarbonise shipping.
Assessing alternative fuel options must be done from a well-to-wake basis to achieve true decarbonization in the shipping industry. Only through a complete life-cycle analysis can the environmental impact of fuels be properly evaluated. Understanding how these fuels are produced and transported is paramount
Paul Delouche, Strategy Director at Bureau Veritas and lead author of the report, stated, adding that “achieving decarbonization in WtW terms will require unprecedented collaboration and transparency with upstream and production chains, including a broad range of stakeholders from energy and chemical suppliers to authorities and financiers.”
In addition, the report explains that shipping will see a mix of alternative fuels in the near future, with fuel choices influenced by vessel’s types, sizes and operational profiles, as well as the availability of the fuels and bunkering infrastructures at scale.
Moreover, access to renewable electricity on a large scale will be key to produce e-fuels and hydrogen, and a cross-sector approach will be needed to share resources such as wind and solar power between maritime and other sectors.
The industry will also be affected by a range of incentives, including legislation and market-based measures, that are being developed by regional and global regulators.
In fact, the current EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime proposals, could result in significant levels of taxation and penalties for ships. For FueEU Maritime, the impact would be relatively moderate until 2035, but theoretically reaching very high levels from 2040 onwards.
Changing marine fuels will necessitate major changes to the entire fuel supply and logistics chain. This will have an enormous impact on maritime businesses worldwide. The clock is ticking down to 2050, and the sooner we decarbonise, the better
Ulrik Dan Frørup, Chief Commercial Director at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore, concluded.
EXPLORE MORE AT bv’S REPORT ON alternative fuels
