{"id":5202,"date":"2023-08-14T15:42:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-14T13:42:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maqmar.com\/?p=5202"},"modified":"2024-02-26T14:22:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T13:22:00","slug":"5-sustainable-alternatives-for-reducing-ship-emissions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maqmar.com\/en\/5-sustainable-alternatives-for-reducing-ship-emissions\/","title":{"rendered":"5 sustainable alternatives for reducing ship emissions"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the previous post we explained the difference between fossil fuels and synthetic fuels.<\/a> Long-distance travel requires energy-intensive fuels<\/strong>, such as fossil fuels. Therefore, in the maritime sector, the energy transition is not an easy task,<\/strong> especially for international freight transport.<\/p>\n

Today we bring you 5 sustainable alternatives that ships can use to replace fossil fuels.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Liquefied natural gas (LNG)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

LNG is being used as a transition fuel until a viable and totally CO\u2082-free fuel is found.<\/strong> For example, the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, uses six engines with LNG and fuel cell technology. The MSC World Europa is also powered by LNG.<\/p>\n

It emits 25% less CO\u2082<\/strong> (carbon dioxide) than other common marine fuels for the same propulsion power,<\/strong> as well as lower emissions of NOx<\/strong> (nitrous oxide), SOx<\/strong> (sulphur oxide) and particulate matter.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although there is always a small amount of fuel that is not burned in the engine and escapes with the exhaust gases. LNG is predominantly methane, and when burned as fuel, the unburned methane escapes into the atmosphere.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is possible to convert a ship to run on LNG depending on the space required for the tanks.<\/strong> The cheapest option is to convert existing engines<\/strong>, but new dual-fuel engines <\/strong>can also be installed. These allow vessels to run on conventional fuels (MGO, HFO, LFO or liquid biofuel) or on LNG. In addition, switching between fuels can be done without loss of power or speed.<\/p>\n

Biofuels<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Biofuels are produced from vegetable oils, animal waste, crop residues, wastewater and food waste.<\/strong> They can be liquid fuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol or in gaseous form.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Biodiesel is mainly obtained from crops.<\/strong> The most common sources are rapeseed, soybean and palm crops<\/strong>. But it can also be produced from industrial waste, such as from the paper industry.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bioethanol<\/strong>, on the other hand, is obtained through industrial fermentation that transforms plant sugars into alcohol.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The use of biofuels requires no modifications to ships’ combustion engines<\/strong> and has almost no sulphur oxides (SOx). However, they have a lower energy density<\/strong> than fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

Hydrogen<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hydrogen is not very efficient for large ships,<\/strong> due to high storage costs and lower energy density. It is also highly explosive and corrosive.<\/p>\n

Internal combustion engines can burn hydrogen, either pure or mixed with diesel fuels.<\/p>\n

Instead of going through a combustion process, hydrogen can also be used in fuel cells that convert the energy into electricity, powering the ship through an electric motor.<\/p>\n

Some types are:<\/p>\n