Page 189 - Technology Roadmap Transportation

TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP: TRANSPORTATION

nuclear powered ships, it is quite conceivable As far as India is concerned, the country is already
that renewed attention will be given to having the expertise of erection and operation
marine nuclear powered ships. Babcock of nuclear power plants. Also technology for
International’s marine division completed a construction of nuclear submarines is already
study on developing a nuclear powered LNG there with the launching of first nuclear
tanker, which required considerable power for submarine, “Arihant” in the year 2009 and now
auxiliaries as well as for propulsion. The study of,”Aridhaman”. India must be ready with marine
indicated that particular routes and cargoes nuclear technology for its use in international
lent themselves well to the nuclear propulsion shipping, in case, there is change in public
option, and that technological advances in perception or for some specific purposes such as
reactor design and manufacturing had made for exploitation of riches of the arctic if need arises.
the option more appealing. Lloyd’s Register, a
classification society study carried out in 2010 (d) Energy generation from renewable sources:
expects to see nuclear ships on specific trade Wind power and solar energy are the alternative
routes sooner than many people currently sources of natural clean energy freely available and
anticipate. Nuclear power seems most in abundance at sea. Their use on board ships has
immediately promising for the following: the potential for EEDI reduction. Energy savings
through these renewable natural sources are
1. Large bulk carriers that continuously expected to play a major role in the long term, in
operate on fixed routes between dedicated particular for vessels with well-defined duty cycles
ports. and those that are operating over long routes.
2. Cruise liners, which have very high hotel
loads like a small town. A nuclear powered • Solar energy: Solar energy can be utilized
unit could give base-load and charges for generation of electricity on board
batteries, with a smaller diesel unit supplying ships through photovoltaic cells. Electric
at the peaks. power thus produced through use of solar
3. Nuclear tugs, to take conventional ships panels while the vessel is underway can be
across oceans. used for supplying part of the propulsion
4. Some kind of bulk shipping, where speed is power or for meeting auxiliary loads. Solar-
essential. powered systems have so far been tried
and tested on a number of pilot projects
• Challenges for Nuclear Energy: There on board ships. Trial is also on whereby the
are some major challenges that need to electricity generated by the vessel’s solar
be addressed before nuclear powered panels during the voyage is stored in banks
merchant ships can see light of the day. of lithium-ion batteries. When the vessel
These are shown below:

CHALLENGES FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY

Initial cost of constructing a nuclear
01 powered vessel is exorbitant.

02 Exaggerated fears about safety that
operating a vessel fitted with nuclear
reactor in stormy ocean conditions
may subject it to undue stresses
leading to disastrous situations is
Public opinion against use perhaps the largest obstacle.
of nuclear powered 03
merchant ships mobilizing
political pressures for
restriction of trade and 04
port access.
Recycling and dismantling decommissioned
nuclear powered submarines/vessels has
become a major challenge for US & Russian
navies.

WATERWAYS 187

CHALLENGES FOR LNG

LNG is predominantly methane,
which is a substantially worse
greenhouse gas than CO2.
Probability of methane slip i.e.
The biggest challenge release of unburned natural gas
preventing widespread use either through the engine
of LNG as fuel in internation- exhaust or during bunkering or
al shipping is lack of uses otherwise is a cause of
Presently the cost of worldwide availability of concern and needs to be
installing a DF engine plus bunkering infrastructure to addressed as the GHG effect of 1
fuel tanks is estimated to to ensure supply of LNG of Kg of methane discharged to the
be around twice that of a appropriate & consistent atmosphere is the equivalent of
conventional diesel engine quality. 21 Kg of CO2 being emitted.
and its fuel tanks.