CREDIT: GUNNAR EIDE
ODFJELL
“ That could be changing the propeller or other systems that make the ship slightly more efficient,” Øistein explains. Each percentage point of efficiency translated into lower fuel consumption and, therefore, lower emissions. Incremental gains across a fleet of roughly 80 tankers add up over time.“ The cheapest fuel is the fuel you don’ t use,” he says.
The third pillar – and the most complex – is fuel choice.“ What kind of fuel are we putting on board our tanks, and what are we going to burn?” Øistein asks. He considers this the“ biggest question” facing the industry today.
Climate-smart marine fuels The debate around alternative fuels is often framed around specific candidates, from ammonia to methanol and biofuels.
Øistein argues that any solution must be evaluated from a full life-cycle perspective. In shipping, this is known as a“ well‐to‐wake” view, covering production through to combustion. He uses ammonia as an illustrative example.“ If you take grey ammonia on board, the ship will not emit greenhouse gases,” Øistein says.“ But the production of that ammonia can be higher than traditional fuel, so we need that holistic perspective.”
Affordability and fairness are also critical. Low-carbon fuels remain more expensive than conventional marine fuels such as heavy fuel oil or marine gasoil.“ You need to be able to afford the alternative fuel, and no one is able to adopt higher costs than others,” Øistein explains. energydigital. com
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