In two parts of the world — along the U.S. and Canadian coasts, and in the Baltic and North seas as well as the English Channel — the SOx limits are ultra-strict. As of 2010, the sulfur content of marine fuel in these “emission control areas” must be 1 percent or lower. As of 2015, the sulfur content must be 0.1 percent or lower.
These limits explain Totem Ocean Trailer’s conversion of its Alaska fleet to LNG as well as Shell’s move to make LNG for ships plying the Great Lakes, Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico coast. For ships sailing on the open ocean and along other coasts, the sulfur content of their fuel can be 3.5 percent now, a limit that will shrink to 0.5 percent in either 2020 or 2025, depending on cleaner marine-fuel availability. But neither of these LNG advantages — lower price and pollution — come for free.
The Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) will affect all shipping within, into and out of the Baltic, North Sea and English Channel from January 2015. While the introduction of the SECA is justified by the need to reduce sulphur emissions, which have a significant impact on human health, it is likely to damage the economics of longer distance roll-on roll-off (roro) services that help to remove traffic from the Scottish and GB road networks unless hybrids are successful – just changing fuel is not usually economic.
SECA will limit fuel emissions from ships to 0.1% sulphur compared to the current limit of 1.5%. This initiative by the International Maritime Organization and the European Union is justified by the likely positive impacts on human health, buy many observers of the maritime industry believe there will be a significant impact on the economics of ferry services operating to, from and within the SECA.
This is because Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), which is the cheapest marine fuel, will be banned unless the ships’ emissions are cleaned using “scrubber” technology – which requires investment by shipping lines that will have to be paid for by their customers in the medium – to long-term. Marine Gas Oil (MGO), the main existing alternative fuel, is much more expensive than HFO.
Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) may provide a cheaper alternative fuel for new ferries in the future, but very few large commercial roro vessels with LNG engines have been built, the retrofit of LNG engines does not appear to be possible and, in any event the refuelling infrastructure is unlikely to be available in many ports by 1 January 2015. However, there is a promising move to hybrid and pure electric sea-going boats and ferries etc.
Motivated in part by serious urban air pollution, the Chinese government last year issued a new Natural Gas Utilization Policy. It calls for more dual-fuel cars and LNG vehicles, plus LNG or dual-fuel ships on rivers, lakes and along the country’s coast. The number of LNG marine filling stations doubled in 2012, reaching 385, mostly located near coastal cities, the LNG association said. Nonetheless it is unclear whether LNG fuel on its own can leverage its two most winning features — a cost advantage and less pollution — into a sizeable market share in the transportation industry.
On price, LNG is about $1.50 a gallon cheaper than diesel at today’s oil and natural gas costs in North America. Clean Energy says its LNG price in California averaged $2.91 per gallon of diesel equivalent last year, compared with a diesel fuel average of $4.23. In Asia, LNG might not have much price advantage because, unlike in North America, so much LNG is sold there at oil-linked prices. On pollution, new International Maritime Organization rules strictly limit sulfur oxide emissions by ships. Ordinary diesel and heavy fuel oil emit a lot of sulfur oxide when burned. LNG has virtually zero SOx emissions.
For trucks, the build-out of LNG fuelling stations has only just begun. For ships, northern Europe has a few LNG refuelling ports and a couple other ports there are manoeuvring for position. Singapore also hopes to become a refuelling hub. Further, conversion costs are high. Studies conclude this is a new build option only, unless grants are forthcoming. The Staten Island Ferry system is using a $2.3 million federal grant to help pay for converting one ferry to natural gas, according to the American Gas Association.
New Hybrid Ship and Boat Technology
Many companies are launching new hybrid ship and boat technology to work with less polluting fuel where viable. Other technology boosts the case for pure electric powertrains in boats, including some light duty tugboats. For example Saft, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industry, is launching its new Seanergy range of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery modules developed to offer the proven safety, performance and reliability advantages of Li-ion Super-Iron Phosphate (SLFP) chemistry in a fully integrated solution designed specifically for civil marine propulsion installations.
The new range includes a variety of Energy and Power modules that offer the flexibility and adaptability to create highly efficient, cost-effective battery systems to power full-electric and hybrid electric applications for a wide variety of vessels including work boats, ferries, offshore support, cruise-liners and cargo ships.
“Silent, clean and cost-effective operations are now key priorities for the marine transportation industry,” says Didier Jouffroy, Saft’s Marine Products and Applications Manager. “That’s why Saft has responded by developing the Seanergy range that offers the advantages of our advanced SLFP battery chemistry in a safe, reliable and flexible modular package.”
The trend for electric propulsion is being driven by the needs of the civil marine industry to demonstrate that it is sustainable and energy efficient. This means it has to adapt fast to meet ever tighter environmental regulations that aim to reduce both emissions and noise nuisance while increasing efficiency.
New concepts in ship architecture are now incorporating advanced battery technology for both pure electric propulsion and hybrid systems, where the batteries work in conjunction with diesel generators, or possibly gas turbines, and electric motors.
Saft’s current marine Li-ion battery projects include: Ballerina’s brand new electric ferry boat for the city of Stockholm; Icade’s electric-powered passenger vessel operated on Paris’ Saint-Denis’ canal by Vedettes de Paris; two Keolis hybrid diesel-electric ferryboats that operate a shuttle service across the Garonne river in Bordeaux.
The key advantages of Saft SLFP cell technology for marine applications are its increased safety, its light weight and compact size, high efficiency, long calendar and cycling life, fast-charging capability and high power output – both continuous and in pulses and the ability to deliver high voltages – up to 1000 V
Source: IDTechEx
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