A ship docked in port

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The maritime sector is committed to decarbonizing its activity, as it is aware of being a fundamental part of international transportation given that up to 90% of goods are transported by ship. That’s why, they are committed to making changes to ships, routes, and ports to minimize their CO₂ footprint.

Around 90% of the goods consumed around the world are transported by ship, so it is highly likely our desk or the computer we use have come from a port somewhere.

The shipping industry knows it holds enormous weight in international trade (it accounts for 75% of foreign trade in Europe alone, and 31% of domestic trade). Being aware of this and its dependence on conventional fuels (it accounts for up to 50% of world fuel oil demand, according to data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), the sector has decided to embark on the path towards reducing its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The UN agency that regulates maritime transportation, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), aims to reduce them to 50% below 2008 levels by 2050. That’s why it is considering different solutions ranging from improving propulsion systems, to reducing the speed of crossings, optimizing routes, or using renewable energy to power ships. Solutions that could also, in some cases, help to reduce operating costs. In fact, the UN estimates that just a 20% slow down in navigation alone could reduce emissions and fuel costs by up to 34%.

Over the last few years, all kinds of initiatives to make sea transportation sustainable have been flourishing. In Norway and The Netherlands, passenger ferries are already powered by electric batteries, and in San Francisco Bay, a hydrogen-powered ferry is expected to be in operation some time this year. The ship has been given the meaningful name Sea Change, and it will be able to carry up to 75 people. There are also projects that use wind propulsion, although not in the conventional sense. This is the case for the Japanese shipping company NYK, which is developing a ship that will use blades, similar to a wind turbine, which will reduce carbon emissions by 69%.

One of the most viable solutions to decarbonize shipping is to use alternative fuels with low or zero CO₂ emissions. The advantage of these fuels is they can be used in existing fleets without having to modify their current engines. “Minimal modifications need to be made to traditional combustion engines to enable them to run on these new fuels. Performance is maintained, but we have to focus the study on how these engines are going to behave over a long period of time," explains Ignacio del Pino, director of Navantia’s engine factory in Cartagena. They have just signed an agreement with the multi-energy company Repsol, precisely to study the technical and economic feasibility of new fuels to decarbonize the sector.

The International Maritime Organization has set out to reduce shipping emissions by 2050 by up to 50% compared to 2008.

The analysis focuses on advanced biofuels produced from renewable raw materials (e.g., agri-food waste) and synthetic fuels, produced from renewable hydrogen and CO₂ removed from the atmosphere through carbon capture technologies. The development of these new solutions will be carried out at Repsol's technology and innovation center, the Technology Lab, and using the best testing and diagnostic equipment and facilities that Navantia has to offer in Cartagena. "These new fuels are going to allow us to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions. The rest of the current technologies do not allow a standardized and commercial solution to the demands of maritime transportation," states del Pino.

There is even talk about including the development possibilities they offer in a European Union regulation, the Fuel EU Maritime Regulation, which has decided to integrate them as part of the extensive Fit for 55 package, which the Commission wants to use to reduce GHG emissions in the Eurozone by 55% by 2030.

However, the commitment to sustainability goes beyond that and not only concerns ships, but also the daily activity on the docks. Ports such as Barcelona are incorporating liquefied natural gas (LNG) as the main fuel for their operations or for supplying fleets that opt for this solution. Another possibility is turning port infrastructures into something more than inert facilities. Along these lines, the Port of Vigo, in Galicia, has just won the 2022 World Sustainability Award presented by the International Association of Ports and Harbors. The award, which is known as the Oscars of the Environment, was given to the Living Ports project, a commitment to the use of an environmentally-friendly concrete, called ECOncrete. This new material applied to the quay wall will help the colonization of local fauna and flora. In addition to promoting biodiversity, ECOncrete is designed to encourage the growth of organisms that filter water and absorb CO₂.

Decarbonizing international maritime transportation has many options. "Each segment requires different solutions. Decarbonization does not have one single technological solution, as the operating requirements of each product are quite different," points out Clara Rey, director of Technology, Customer Centric, and Chemicals at Repsol.

 

Published in La Razón