International initiatives towards reducing SOx, NOx and particle emissions are driving the research into alternative marine fuels. The decision of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to limit the sulphur content of ship fuel from 1 January 2020 to 0.5 per cent worldwide has the potential to become a game-changer. It creates an atmosphere of uncertainty across the industry regarding the direction to take in terms of future energy sources. The practical challenges related to sulphur reduction are knocking at the door. LNG is considered as the most promising fuel option for having a sharp decrease in sulphur emissions. Considering new regulations, obligations will be relevant for about half of the 10,000 ships currently engaged in intra-EU shipping. These regulations mean that an estimated 70% of the fuels currently used by the sector needs to be modified or changed. As an alternative marine fuel LNG is an attractive fuel option for vessels, in particular, to meet the new regulations however it has challenges to deal with, We will have a special focus on the following subtopics which holds back LNG as a future marine fuel:
The Agenda includes:
- The absence of clearly established standards for bunkering procedures
- Funding and Raising awareness of LNG bunkering infrastructure
- Uncertainties regarding the economic viability
