DNV GL: shipping must change
The ship and offshore classification society DNV GL has released a position paper on the future alternative fuel mix for global shipping. While LNG is expected to be an early success, the picture becomes more diversified with time, as more than 20% of shipping could adopt hybrid propulsion solutions, featuring batteries or other energy storage technologies.
DNV pointed out that the global merchant fleet currently consumes around 330 million t of fuel annually, 80-85% of which is residual fuel with high sulphur content. According to Christos Chryssakis, DNV GL senior researcher and position paper project manager, shipping must change to contribute technical measures, operational measures and alternative fuels.
In the long term, short sea shipping is expected to take advantage of locally produced fuels such as biogas, biodiesel, methanol, shoreside electricity and hydrogen, whilst deep sea shipping needs globally available fuels and will therefore tend towards LNG and biodiesel, if it becomes available, DNV GL stated.
