Page 186 - Technology Roadmap Transportation

TECHNOLOGY VISION 2035

concerns and dwindling fossil fuel reserves are (b) Liquefied natural gas (LNG) as an alternative
paving way for the use of alternative fuels such as fuel:
bio-fuels, liquid natural gas (LNG), Hydrogen for Natural gas is well established as a major
fuel cell, solar energy or nuclear fuel for energy contributor to the world’s energy needs. But as
generation. far as shipping industry is concerned, its use as an
alternative to residual fuel oil has remained limited
(a) Bio-fuel as an alternative fuel: to LNG carriers and for short sea shipping (SSS)
Bio-fuel, as the name suggests, is fuel oil derived or in other words coastal shipping, inshore and
from plants i.e. vegetable oil. The concept of using inland shipping in some regions of the world such
vegetable oil as fuel dates back to 1895 when as in some countries of European Union (EU) and
Rudolf Diesel developed the first diesel engine to United States of America (USA) with established
run on groundnut oil. It is a realistic and sustainable LNG bunkering infrastructure. However, in the
renewable energy source with the potential of present circumstances, the choice of LNG as an
considerable decrease in lifecycle CO emissions. In alternative fuel for maritime industry surely is a
2
comparison with fossil fuels, it does not contribute viable option for the following reasons:
to SO emissions since it does not contain sulphur.
X
Particulate matter emissions are also reduced The use of LNG as fuel on board ships can
but NO emissions are slightly increased. It is support long term emission reduction of GHGs
X
biodegradable and is therefore safer to handle and like CO by 20%, SO by 80%, particulate matter
2
X
transport. (PM) by 73%. So it is a cleaner source of energy
and therefore the most suitable fuel option for
In principle, existing diesel engines can run on bio- emission reduction and environmental pollution
fuel blends. Therefore, use of bio-fuels on board prevention. The carbon content of LNG (2.75)
ships is technically possible. The most promising is least as compared to diesel oil (3.20) and
bio-fuels for ships are biodiesel and crude plant residual fuel oil (3.11). Therefore use of LNG has
oil. Biodiesel is most suitable for replacing marine the potential to improve EEDI of ship. The last
distillate, while plant oil is suitable for replacing thirty years have seen a shift in the global energy
residual fuels. One of the most promising fuel mix towards an increased role for natural
developments is the use of algae to produce bio- gas. In the last five years global LNG production
fuels with molecular structure similar to petroleum has increased by almost 40% and the number of
and refined hydrocarbon products in use today, countries exporting and importing LNG has been
offering the potential for manufacturing a range of growing steadily. This trend is likely to continue in
fuels including gasoline, diesel fuels and jet fuels the foreseeable future.
with the same specification.
Ships trading in designated emission control
There are, however, various unresolved problems. areas have to use on board fuel oil with a sulphur
These include fuel instability, corrosion, susceptibility content of no more than 0.10% from 1stJanuary
to microbial growth, adverse effects on piping and 2015, against the limit of 1.00% in effect up until
instrumentation, and poor cold flow properties. 31 December 2014. The emission control areas
st
Although these technical challenges could be established under MARPOL Annex VI for SO
X
resolved in future, widespread use of bio-fuels in are: the Baltic sea area, the North Sea area, the
shipping will depend on price, other incentives North American area (covering designated coastal
and availability in sufficient volumes. Breakthroughs areas of the United States and Canada), and the
in production methods and imposition of new United States Caribbean Sea area (around Puerto
regulations may have a significant impact. In Rico and United States Virgin Islands).It is certain
Indian context, bio-fuels can bring about self- that stringent air pollution prevention norms will
sufficiency in the field of energy. It is important for be enforced around the globe sooner. With the
not only saving our economy which is so much reduction of sulphur percentage, production cost
dependent on oil imports but also for keeping of fuel at the refineries increases considerably.
our environment less polluted. The most significant Under the circumstances the pricing and availability
point about bio-fuels is that it is a renewable of LNG as compared to low sulphur fuel may
source of energy. Development and promotion become attractive enough for ship operators to
of such renewable sources of energy, to partially prefer use of LNG on board ships.
offset the energy import and dependence on oil/
coal to the extent possible, should therefore be To meet the emission reduction requirements,
one of the most important goals. there are only two realistic alternatives; exhaust

184 WATERWAYS