Shippings climate problem
Shipping is thecheapest way to move raw materials and bulk goods.
That has given it both an enormous economic impact and a large carbon footprint.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Technological innovation, in addition to policies, will be crucial for achieving low-carbon or zero-emission shipping.
Each has its pros and cons.
It also allows ships toconnect to electric power while in port, reducing their emissions from idling.
Ship electrification and hybridization aresignificant trends for both commercial and military vessels.
Electrifying a ship means replacing its traditional mechanical systems with electrical ones.
Some fleets have already electrified propulsion and cargo handling.
I see deeper electrification and broader hybridization as a core strategy for achieving green shipping.
Innovations in marine diesel and gas turbine engine design and treatment of exhaust gas have lowered harmful emissions.
The focus now is on developing cleaner fuel sources and more efficient alternative power generation technologies.
But likehydrogen, it is largely still made with fossil fuels.
Cost and infrastructure remain major barriers.
Renewable energy sources, such aswind,solarand wave energy, are also promising.
Integrating renewable sources as cost-effective and reliable energy solutions for oceangoing vessels is another challenge developers are working on.
Infrastructure for hydrogen storage has to be developed for widespread adoption of fuel cell technology.
Battery technology is essential for electrification, even for ships with an internal combustion engine as their prime mover.
It also has its own unique challenges.
Its expected toadopt mandatory requirementsreflecting those long-term goals at its meeting June 10-17, 2021.
Those targets are important, but they leave the deadlines for action well into the future.
Countries and some shipping companies are recommending a faster transition.
This is an exciting time to work in the area of energy and power solutions for shipping.
