Tag: alternative fuels

German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd revealed plans to retrofit its 15,000 TEU boxship 'Sajir' to use LNG propulsion, in a pilot project expected to pave the way for converting large ships to LNG. The LNG conversion is expected to save 15-30% in CO2 emissions from the ship's operation. 

According to Wook Mackenzie, despite its small share of the total LNG market, floating LNG (FLNG) has provided outsized interest in recent years. This happened as its offers lower capital investment and manageable costs, especially in frontier regions. Nevertheless, WoodMac added that future project opportunities are in short supply.

The Hypatia de Alejandría de Baleària, the first ship powered by LNG in the Mediterranean, made its first commercial trip between Barcelona and Palma. The ferry arrived on January 27 at the port of Barcelona, ​​coming from Venice. The ship is 186.5 meters in length and can accommodate 880 people, as well as 166 vehicles. In addition to Hypatia de Alejandría, its twin Marie Curie will follow.

Moss Maritime, in cooperation with Equinor, Wilhelmsen and DNV-GL, have developed a design for a Liquefied Hydrogen bunker vessel. The vessel design comes at a time when hydrogen is developing into a viable solution. The LH2 bunker vessel has cargo capacity of 9000 m³, with a cargo containment system aimed to enhance insulation performance and meet strict safety requirements.

IMO's upcoming 2020 sulphur cap raises the question of whether chemical tanker owners will be able to pass on higher costs to charterers, noted Mrs. Hu Qing, Lead Analyst, Drewry Maritime Research, adding that profitability in chemical shipping is likely to continue to be squeezed in 2020.

A researcher from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne has created a system based on fuel cells, aiming to limit the carbon footprint and energy consumption of cruise ships. Mr. Baldi deployed a system developed at EPFL to transform unused energy into hydrogen. Then the fuel cells, customized for ships, could supply electricity to be consumed on board or hydrogen to be stored for later use. 

SEA\LNG released a study revealing a strong investment case for LNG as a marine fuel in the container shipping market. Peter Keller, Chairman, SEA\LNG, noted that the results show that for this type of vessel, LNG can deliver the best return on investment on a net present value basis over a conservative 10-year horizon. The study analysed the case of a newbuild 14,000 TEU container vessel operating on an Asia-US West Coast (USWC) liner routing and compared six fuel pricing scenarios.

Based on IMO's strict sulphur regulations, the shipping industry is looking for ways to take its shipping in a greener and more sustainable path by innovating in the technological fields. As IMO has demanded, the shipping industry's sulphur emissions should not exceed the 0.50% m/m of sulphur, by 2020 unless the ships are equipped with scrubbers or get along with other options available. 

At its latest Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 73), IMO approved, among others, the guidance on the development of a ship implementation plan for the consistent implementation of the 0.50% sulphur limit, also known as the 2020 sulphur cap, under MARPOL Annex V.

South Korean shipbuilders, after becoming the world's leaders on new orders in 2018 on increased demand for LNG ships, are expecting a solid demand for vessels during 2019. Specifically, local shipyards have won orders to build 60 LNG ships last year, in a time when demand for LNG carriers is steadily increasing.