A Discussion on Alternative Fuel Criteria for Maritime Transport

Abstract

Alternative marine fuels are considered an important solution for reducing ship emissions from fossil fuels. These fuels have similar energy content with fossil fuels, but they create much less environmental burden during their use due to the elements they contain (or not), the ratio of elements to each other and different combustion characteristics. On the other hand, for these fuels to replace fossil fuels, they must meet a number of important criteria and conditions. These are divided under four main titles: Economic, technical, environmental, social and other. In addition, examining the environmental impacts of alternative fuels from a life-cycle perspective is also important for determining the holistic and cumulative impacts. In this study, the criteria determined for alternative marine fuels were evaluated from the life cycle perspective and it was investigated which criterion is the most important in terms of life cycle. Thus, it is aimed to summarize the assessments of the criteria for acceptance of the alternative fuels.