InterviewGreener shipping impossible without clean fuel, vetted technology

Norsepower Oy's wind-assisted propulsion system operates on a merchant tanker in this undated photo. Courtesy of DNV

The global maritime transportation paradigm is shifting toward more eco-friendly methods that harness cleaner fuels and generate fewer carbon emissions. However, slow progress in fuel supply chains and the development of technologies for future ships is delaying this big-picture transition, according to an expert from a Norwegian industrial risk management provider.

Eirik Ovrum, principal consultant at DNV, said that although the testing of technologies to implement these fuels and deploy ships is not advancing at the necessary pace, the tests themselves are showing positive signs and the industry is on the right track.

One major upcoming category of future ships in the pipeline is those using biofuels. Low greenhouse gas (GHG) fuels such as biodiesel and bio-liquefied natural gas (LNG) generate fewer carbon emissions than fossil fuels. These fuels are currently in high demand worldwide, but their global supply remains limited, according to Ovrum, author of “Maritime Forecast to 2050,” a report published by DNV.

Eirik Ovrum, principal consultant at DNV / Courtesy of DNV

“Biofuels can range from only about a 50 percent reduction in well-to-wake emissions to close to net-zero emissions. The same is true for bio-LNG. So shipowners with access to the right kinds of biodiesel or bio-LNG can reach net-zero and avoid paying any carbon dioxide (CO2) price to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). We, however, see a lack of supply to meet demand. The production of low-GHG fuels has to be increased in order for shipping to meet the IMO goals in 2030, 2040 and net-zero by 2050,” he said in an interview with The Korea Times.

“We don’t know how far this will go. We aren’t certain about additional costs of collecting new types of biowaste. Both the speed at which production is expanding and possible increases in production costs are impacting our assessment of the future. And perhaps the most important aspect is what demand will be like from sectors other than shipping. And it seems unlikely that we will see a reduction in biodiesel use over the next 10 years.”

Onboard carbon capture systems (CCS), another anticipated technology, also remain in testing before full-scale deployment, according to Ovrum. Challenges include minimizing additional energy consumption to achieve CO2 capture and ensuring the purity of the captured and liquefied CO2.

“The level of impurities in the CO2 stream is a significant question in the wider CCS value chain,” he said.

Wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS), which do not require low-GHG fuels or CO2 capture, also need further development to determine a basis for practical use, Ovrum said. “We are working on verifying savings (of energy) for ships with the system installed, but the results are highly individual, and one ship’s savings are not necessarily applicable to another ship.”

DNV headquarters in Hovik, Norway / Courtesy of DNV

Despite these challenges, Ovrum said that human ingenuity is overcoming hurdles through testing and proposals to current IMO regulations. For example, with the implementation of more flexible chain-of-custody models, like book-and-claim, access to biodiesel and bio-LNG will be easier and faster.

Ovrum also noted that dozens of full-scale CCS pilot projects are being tested on merchant ships in operation. Norwegian shipowner Solvang’s chemical tanker Clipper Eris has been testing an onboard CCS for more than six months. A similar system from the Shanghai Marine Diesel Engine Research Institute has been in operation since 2024 on the container vessel Ever Top.

“The results are encouraging. We have seen significant technical development and large-scale tests that could prove the CO2 reduction technology,” he said. “DNV is active in development of the wider CCS value chain, including shipping, and is currently running more than 10 joint industry projects addressing key industry challenges in capture, transportation, storage, dispersion and metering.”

As for WAPS, Ovrum said there are currently 50 ships with the “advanced sails” and another 100 coming up. He said WAPS “could be the most promising development.”