This scientific study aims to compare the significance of onboard positioning of two different classes of wind propulsion systems for retrofit installations to maximize fuel and emissions savings. The study focuses on comparing the performance a low lift-to-drag ratio wind propulsion system, the Rotor Sail, and a high lift-to-drag ratio one, the DynaRig, installed at different places on a real 84000 DWT bulk carrier ship to identify the most efficient placement of these two distinct systems to achieve maximum fuel efficiency. The investigation involves a comprehensive analysis of available deck spaces, and performance prediction program modeling is employed to estimate potential fuel savings for a typical route followed by the vessel. The results show that placing the WPS far forward, close to the hydrodynamic centre of lateral resistance, results in overall higher savings. Both WPS classes see a penalty when placed far from the hydrodynamic centre of lateral resistance, reducing their overall savings potential. However, Rotor Sails are more adversely affected due to their enhanced side force generation per unit thrust. Consequently, the placement of Rotor Sails becomes crucial, especially under upwind conditions, while DynaRigs prove more versatile for installations in the aft. This research provides valuable insights into enhancing the ship's energy efficiency and reducing its environmental impact in the maritime industry.
Uncertainties on the global availability and affordability of alternative marine fuels are stalling the shipping sector’s decarbonization course. Several candidate measures are being discussed at the International Maritime Organization, including market-based measures (MBMs) and environmental policies such as carbon taxes and emissions trading systems, as means to decarbonize. Their implementation increases the cost of fossil fuel consumption and provides fiscal incentives to shipping stakeholders to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions reductions. MBMs can bridge the price gap between alternative and conventional fuels and generate revenues for funding the up-scaling of alternative fuels’ production, storage and distribution facilities and, thus, enhance their availability. By estimating the fuels’ implementation and operational costs and carbon abatement potential, this study calculates marginal abatement costs and estimates the level of carbon pricing needed to render investments into alternative fuels cost-effective. The results can assist policymakers in establishing robust and effective maritime decarbonization policies.
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Benchmarking the energy efficiency of ships is not a straightforward task, mainly due to the diversity of operations. Although driving cycles have been used for decades in evaluating the performance of road vehicles, these do not exist in formal policy-making for maritime transport. This work builds on a previously proposed methodology. It uses noon reports of 327 vessels for 2019 to construct operational cycles for seven size classes of container ships using the main engine power as the main parameter. Concerning the main engine emissions, the resulting cycles reduce variation in the carbon intensity indicator values by more than 30% while maintaining an average accuracy of 97.7% in absolute emissions. These figures show that the concept can improve operational carbon intensity indicators in terms of robustness and their technical counterparts in optimizing ship design. The paper also proposes further work required for benchmarking applications in policy-making.
The European Union (EU) transport policy recognizes the importance of the waterborne transport systems as key elements for sustainable growth in Europe. By 2030, 30% of total road freight over 300 km should shift to rail or waterborne transport, and more than 50% by 2050. Thus far, this ambition has failed but there have been several project initiatives within the EU to address these issues. In one of these projects, we consider a new waterborne transport system for Europe that is green, robust, flexible, more automated and autonomous, and able to connect both rural and urban terminals. The purpose of this paper is to describe work and preliminary results from this project. To that effect, and in order to assess any solutions contemplated, a comprehensive set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) has been defined, and three specific use cases within Europe are examined and evaluated according to these KPIs. KPIs represent the criteria under which the set of solutions developed are evaluated, and also compared to non-autonomous solutions. They are grouped under economic, environmental and social KPIs. KPIs have been selected after a consultation process involving project partners and external Advisory Group members. Links to EU transport and other regulatory action are also discussed.
The European Union (EU) transport policy recognizes the importance of the waterborne transport systems as key elements for sustainable growth in Europe. By 2030, 30% of total road freight over 300 km should shift to rail or waterborne transport, and more than 50% by 2050. Thus far, this ambition has failed but there have been several project initiatives within the EU to address these issues. In one of these projects, we consider a new waterborne transport system for Europe that is green, robust, flexible, more automated and autonomous, and able to connect both rural and urban terminals. The purpose of this paper is to describe work and preliminary results from this project. To that effect, and in order to assess any solutions contemplated, a comprehensive set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) has been defined, and three specific use cases within Europe are examined and evaluated according to these KPIs. KPIs represent the criteria under which the set of solutions developed are evaluated, and also compared to non-autonomous solutions. They are grouped under economic, environmental and social KPIs. KPIs have been selected after a consultation process involving project partners and external Advisory Group members. Links to EU transport and other regulatory action are also discussed.
In this study, we investigate the barriers and enablers companies face when they seek to establish a fully decarbonized supply chain from the ground up. While recent research on sustainable supply chain management has advanced our understanding of how existing supply chains can become more sustainable, there is less research on fully decarbonized supply chains that are designed carbon neutral to produce carbon neutral products. This research aims to expand that frontier by investigating the case of the emerging supply chain delivering fossil-neutral e- methanol to the shipping industry.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has recently adopted short-term measures introducing technical standards for existing ships and a labeling system reflecting their operational carbon intensity. This paper investigates the relevant techno-economic implications from a shipowner's perspective and estimates the effect of six compliance options on six sample containerships. The study applies a new evidence-based bottom-up approach, and the results show that compliance, when possible, is not straightforward and costly. Engine power limitation is the most cost-effective option, but low power limits can lead to substantially increased sailing times (up to 793.92 h/year), which can be prohibitive. The option favors older ships with oversized engines as its effectiveness is mainly determined by the main engine load profile. In general, the effectiveness of the measures is not without limits, particularly concerning older ships and those that have already installed several options. Solutions such as market-based measures and alternative fuels, classed by IMO as medium- and long-term measures, must be considered soon.
Offshore grids can play key roles in the transition of energy systems toward sustainability. Although they require extensive infrastructure investments, they allow for the exploitation of additional resources and may be important in providing for part of the increasing electricity demands driven by sector coupling. This paper quantifies the socioeconomic value of offshore grids and identifies their major drivers, performing energy system optimization in a model application of the northern–central European energy system and the North Sea offshore grid towards 2050. The increasing wake loss with the sizes of hub-connected wind farms is integrated in the modeling. We find that without sector coupling no offshore grid may develop, and that the higher the level of sector coupling, the higher the value of offshore grids. Therefore, it can be strongly stated that offshore grid infrastructure development should not be discussed as a separate political topic, but seen in connection to sector coupling.
Global warming and, correspondingly, reducing CO2 emissions is one of the most challenging tasks the world faces today. The maritime industry contributed to 2.89% of the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. To decrease this share, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) defined, among others, the goal to reduce the carbon intensity of international shipping by 40% until 2030. In this context, the short-term measures recently adopted, in the form of a technical standard (Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index, EEXI) and a rating scheme based on an operational indicator (Carbon Intensity Indicator, CII), mark a crucial step to achieving the mentioned goal. In addition, the EU Commission has recently introduced the FuelEU Maritime Initiative limiting the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of a ship’s energy use incorporating a reduction occurring in a five-year rhythm between 2025 and 2050. The paper investigates the practical options availed to existing containerships of different sizes and technological vintages for meeting the specific EEXI, CII, and GHG intensity reduction requirements imposed by the regulations. The investigation will be based on the actual technical and operational profiles of six sample ships and will consider a set of possible compliance options including, but not limited to, engine power limitation, waste heat recovery system, variable frequency drives, and virtual arrival. The data used originates from noon reports of existing containerships provided by a European industry leader. The ship-specific CO2 emission reduction potentials required for the impact assessment result from either literature or actual data-based calculations. Financial data is used for investigating the economic impact of the reduction requirements. Conclusions drawn include an operational advantage that pre-EEDI ships enjoy when applying engine power limitation (EPL) for EEXI compliance, the occurrence of payback periods exceeding ship lifetimes, and an estimate of the effect that onshore power supply can have on complying with the FuelEU Maritime Initiative.