According to Nippon Paint Marine, the potential cost implications of future fuels will slow the energy transition without the adoption of proven, performance-based clean technologies that drive fuel and operational cost efficiencies as part of daily operations.
In particular, while there is no ‘silver bullet’ to secure shipping’s decarbonization, the delivery and uptake of a new generation of viable and proven zero-carbon fuels will be essential to meeting the targets and expectations of regulatory bodies like the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the EU and wider stakeholders in the maritime value chain.
Clean technologies that are performance-based, such as advanced marine coatings which are the most widely used in the market, play a key role in driving the immediate reduction in fuel consumption and emissions today, as well as delivering operational efficiencies that will enable the successful transition to future fuels in the medium to longer term.
..Mr. Hirozaku Kaji, Technical Director at Nippon Paint Marine, explains.
As explained, there are multiple fuel options on the table to rapidly decarbonize the maritime industry– from increasingly common LNG, methanol, and biofuel solutions to less developed alternatives, such as hydrogen and ammonia. However, the price change compared to current bunkering costs is set to be exponential.
Future fuels will undoubtedly play a critical role in meeting shipping’s decarbonization targets. However, these cost implications may prove commercially difficult and cost prohibitive for many industry players.
..said Mr. Kaji.
Implementing a proven and effective low-friction antifouling marine coating for example, can reduce fuel costs and emissions by up to 10% alone compared to using standard antifoulings that do not have proven biomimetic or low-friction properties.
There is a wide diversity and availability of clean technologies across the shipping industry, and so it is important that ship owners and operators adopt proven solutions based on thorough due diligence and analysis. Working with manufacturers that demonstrate rigour in the R&D and testing process ensures that the claimed efficiency savings can be verified and deliver tangible commercial impact.
