As the 2020 sulphur cap is approaching, the shipping industry needs to move to renewable and alternative fuels to reduce the sector’s impact on the environment. However, according to a study by researchers at The University of Manchester, published in the Journal of Cleaner Production says that there is no widely available fuel to manage climate change and local pollutants.
The research team noted that there is a need for alternative fuels in shipping for two main reasons:
- To reduce local pollutants and comply with regulation and;
- To mitigate against climate change and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
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However, there is no widely available fuel exists today to reduce the environmental impact and comply with current environmental regulation. Some of the alternative fuel options analysed have the potential, but only if key barriers can be solved.
Dr Paul Gilbert, Senior Lecturer in Climate Change Mitigation, said:
There is, at present, no readily available fuel option to deliver significant savings on local pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions in tandem. In particular, LNG is a promising option for meeting existing regulation, but it is not a low greenhouse gas emissions fuel.
Moreover, researchers from the University’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change conducted a life cycle assessment of current and future fuels used by the shipping companies.
They measured the impacts by using six emissions types. These were local pollutants (sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter) and GHG (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide).
Nevertheless, for a fuels to become a viable alternative for the industry, it must meet a range of criteria. One of the most crucial requirements is that it can deliver emissions reductions over its full life-cycle.
The study says that more effort is needed to overcome barriers to leverage the identified low carbon potential of fuels, or finding alternatives.
You can see more information in the PDF herebelow
