Tag: alternative fuels

'Navigator Aurora' became the first ship that successfully converted its slow-speed marine diesel engine to operate on ethane as a fuel. The conversion lasted 15 days and took place after engine performance and emissions testing at Kawasaki in Japan, to prove that burning ethane in the Navigator ME-GI engines would be possible.

The National Hydrogen Roadmap describes a path to develop the action and investment plans required to realise the full benefits of a hydrogen economy. Hydrogen is a clean-burning fuel with a range of uses, from powering vehicles, to storing energy. The Roadmap was sponsored by 21 industry and government bodies.

On August 18, 2018, Bangladesh launched its first LNG import terminal. Namely, Excelerate Energy Bangladesh completed the commissioning of its Moheshkhali Floating LNG terminal marking the start of operations for the project. The LNG terminal is located off Moheshkhali Island in the Bay of Bengal.

New attempts to create multi-billion dollar LNG plants are increasing following a long pause in investments. This may be justified by the fact that energy giants expect a widening supply gap within five years. Global demand for LNG increased by 12% in 2017, surpassing the forecasts, and is expected to further grow by up to 10% in 2018.

New regulations regarding low-sulphur ship fuel, decarbonisation, and ballast water management have moved environment protection to the top of the maritime agenda. This topic will feature at SMM, which will take place in Hamburg from 4 to 7 September. Exhibitors will present green technologies, and experts will discuss current trends.

The Port of Long Beach informed that the third and final phase of the Middle Harbor Terminal Redevelopment Project is underway and is expected to be completed on time. Once finished the facility will use "green" cargo handling equipment. This equipment will be using electricity or alternative fuels to move containers.

In a bid to support the development of an Australian hydrogen industry, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched a funding round in late 2017 to accelerate innovation in the creation, transportation and transformation of hydrogen into energy at the point of use. 

Blockchain technology experts Blockchain Labs for Open Collaboration announced, through Maritime Blockchain Labs, the establishment of a consortium to address traceability and transparency in the marine fuel supply chain, bringing together LR, Precious Shipping, Bostomar, BIMCO, IBIA, and GoodFuels.

The MethaShip project consortium presented its results in Hamburg. This project aimed to examine methanol as fuel for cruise ships and RoPax ferries. Namely, it concluded that methanol can indeed be used as a marine fuel and will actually be one with a future.

The ISO Working Group issued a statement reassuring the industry that the general requirements of ISO 8217:2017, along with the characteristics included in Table 1 and 2 of ISO 8217: 2017, cover 2020 0.50% max. sulphur fuels in the same way as they cover today’s fuels including the 0.10% max. sulphur fuels.