What is maritime decarbonization?
Maritime decarbonization refers to the reduction, and eventual phasing-out, of carbon emissions as it relates to commercial vessels. Maritime transportation currently accounts for approximately 2-3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Who regulates the shipping industry as it relates to emission standards?
Due to the nature of maritime transportation, shipping is generally regulated at a global level. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, sets the standards for the safety and security of global maritime activities. However, individual countries also have their own regulations and jurisdiction over ships sailing inside their territorial waters or calling their ports.
What is IMO’s decarbonization strategy?
The IMO has implemented a strategy to achieve 50% overall reduction in GHG emissions by 2050 compared to 2008 levels. This is complimented by a near term goal of 40% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030. The strategy includes a specific reference to “a pathway of CO2 emissions reduction consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goals”. Several governments, alliances and trade groups have been pushing the industry to shoot for an even more ambitious goal of zero emissions by 2050.
What are the primary challenges in decarbonizing shipping?
Certain factors make transitioning the fleet to clean fuels and compatible propulsion systems a complicated endeavor:
Ships have massive power requirements
Ocean voyages require reliable propulsion technology
Fuels used onboard must be readily available in the port’s ships visit to maintain smooth operations
Limited onboard space creates capacity and weight constraints
Ships last 20+ years in operations and require long lead times for construction
Decarbonization solutions will require a long-term approach by stakeholders across many different industries and regions. In addition, compliance of any strategy is also a challenge given the lack of a centralized authority with the necessary powers to implement changes.
How is the shipping industry responding to decarbonization?
Major ship owning companies have begun to act on ways to reduce their fleet’s own carbon emissions by using several different strategies, but no universal approach or dominant theme has emerged as a clear path to decarbonization.
The industry is largely focused on easy, short-term paths that potentially can lead to compliance with regulations. Given the long life of ships, existing vessels need to either look at retrofitting or use some type of modification in physical equipment or operational measures to reduce carbon emissions.
Finally, uncertainty surrounding the IMO’s future regulations is still something that keeps smaller vessel-owning companies on the fence when it comes to action.
What are some of the proposed technologies today that could provide a solution to maritime decarbonization?
Batteries: potential for short-haul routes and as auxiliary power solutions on larger ships
Fuel cells: the future power generation technology onboard ships
New fuels & biofuels: production, storage, and distribution of renewably produced ‘green’ fuels such as methanol, ammonia, hydrogen and biofuel
Voyage optimization: software and technology driven solutions ranging from engine/system monitoring to autonomous vessel operations
Sail technologies: new sail technologies that allow ships to harness wind energy and decrease fuel consumption
Carbon capture & storage: specialized machinery that collects and stores CO2 during operation