A Perspective on Biofuels Use and CCS for GHG Mitigation in the Marine Sector

Abstract

Summary The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the marine sector were around 2.6% of world GHG emissions in 2015 and are expected to increase 50%–250% to 2050 under a “business as usual” scenario, making the decarbonization of this fossil fuel-intensive sector an urgent priority. Biofuels, which come in various forms, are one of the most promising options to replace existing marine fuels for accomplishing this in the short to medium term. Some unique challenges, however, impede biofuels penetration in the shipping sector, including the low cost of the existing fuels, the extensive present-day refueling infrastructure, and the exclusion of the sector from the Paris climate agreement. To address this, it is necessary to first identify those biofuels best suited for deployment as marine fuel. In this work, the long list of possible biofuel candidates has been narrowed down to four high-potential options—bio-methanol, bio-dimethyl ether, bio-liquefied natural gas, and bio-oil. These options are further evaluated based on six criteria—cost, potential availability, present technology status, GHG mitigation potential, infrastructure compatibility, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) compatibility—via both an extensive literature review and stakeholder discussions. These four candidates turn out to be relatively evenly matched overall, but each possesses certain strengths and shortcomings that could favor that fuel under specific circumstances, such as if compatibility with existing shipping infrastructure or with CCS deployment become pivotal requirements. Furthermore, we pay particular attention to the possibility of integrating deployment of these biofuels with CCS to further reduce marine sector emissions. It is shown that this aspect is presently not on the radar of the industry stakeholders but is likely to grow in importance as CCS acceptability increases in the broader green energy sector.

Conference Report: YEuCat Better Together – Collaborative Catalysis in a Changing World

“…Membrane separation is a less mature technology, but has potentially lower capital and operating costs associated, and it presents a small footprint, with no hazardous emissions. CO 2 scrubbing is a more mature technology, already implemented for flue gas emissions at power plants [13] . After removing the pollutants, the remaining CO 2 could be stored aboard using compression or liquefaction.…”

Prediction and Control Model of Carbon Emissions from Thermal Power Based on System Dynamics

“…At the same time, greater breakthroughs have been made in key technical levels [47]. CCS technical level has been greatly improved and is widely used in the thermal power industry [48][49][50][51]. In addition to technology, national policies are also more effective.…”

Techno-economic Analysis of Sustainable Biofuels for Marine Transportation

“…Another advantage of biofuels for marine applications is that they can be used as a ready, drop-in fuel with minor changes required for the existing ship engines and infrastructure such as bunkering vessels. Several biofuels produced via various pathways, such as fermentation, pyrolysis, , Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis, and hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), , are being investigated for their compatibility with the current ship engines and infrastructures. Furthermore, BP has partnered with Maersk Tankers to test the biofuel derived from 30% fatty acid methyl esters blended with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) on the vessels sailing from Rotterdam to West Africa in 2021 .…”

“…Recently, several studies reported on the feedstock availability, economic viability, and fuel compatibility of different biofuel options for marine applications. For example, Mukherjee et al ( 10 ) analyzed and compared the performance and viability of biomass gasification, FT synthesis, hydrotreatment of yellow grease, and woody biomass fast pyrolysis (FP), as assessed by techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle analysis. Along the same lines, comprehensive investigations were performed by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and by the Netherlands Maritime Knowledge Centre in 2017.…”