The advent of new regulations in the next decade can lead to significantly increased fuel prices for distillate fuels, due to competition with other uses, such as road transportation, while refinery capacity for producing distillates can turn out to be insufficient for meeting the vastly increasing demand. In this case the use of alternative fuels is a promising solution. There are many potential alternative fuels to oil-based marine fuels and each one is characterized by advantages in certain areas (such as availability, safety, pollutant emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, cost, etc.), compared with its counterparts. This work screens a number of alternative fuels available today (or expected to be available in the near future) that could be used to propel a ship, and gather state of the art data regarding different fuel production and transport pathways from a life cycle perspective. The results show that LNG improves the situation regarding GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions by 9-11%, and this can be further improved with new engines eliminating methane slip. LPG can be a promising alternative, based both on its GHG emissions and on its price and availability. Sustainable biofuels like ethanol from sugar cane, as well as rapeseed-based diesel alternatives could present a viable solution for the shipping industry in the future if their price becomes attractive. They are available in relatively large volumes, show clear GHG emission reduction, with low capital cost for fuel system/engine retrofitting. It is important to consider a Well-To-Propeller perspective when presenting alternative fuels, since the way a fuel is produced and distributed can have a significant impact on its overall GHG emissions. This could be a menace if a fuel is branded as a climate friendly alternative without putting emphasis on its entire life cycle. More work is required when it comes to other aspects of alternative fuels, such as local air pollution, land use, and powertrain technologies, to ensure an optimal overall emissions reduction strategy in the future. This work highlights the fact that, with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, the way a fuel is produced and transported (Well-To-Tank part of the fuel cycle) contributes approximately 10% to 20% to its overall greenhouse gas emissions (Well-to-Propeller), while for biofuels the Well-To-Tank part corresponds to 100% of its GHG emissions. Currently, the most promising alternative fuel for shipping is LNG, due to large volumes available, SOx and NO(x) emissions benefits, price comparable to oil-based fuels (and in some parts of the world lower), and the relative maturity of infrastructure and the technology. However, all available candidate fuels for the future should be further investigated, since they can play an increasingly significant role in the long term.


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    Title :

    Well-To-Propeller Analysis of Alternative Fuels for Maritime Applications


    Additional title:

    Analyse der Bedingungen für alternative Schiffskraftstoffe von der Quelle bis zum Schiffspropeller


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2013


    Size :

    12 Seiten, 2 Bilder, 15 Tabellen, 20 Quellen


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




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