Energy management
19
Top ranked advantages of energy management solutions
Fuel availability will strongly drive the market
Regulatory drivers
Scoping the alternatives
Batteries and renewable energy
Commercial imperatives can be – and often are – overridden by directives imposed at a global level by IMO and/or regional regulatory bodies, such as the EU. To date more than 2,400 ships have been certified to meet IMO’s mandatory Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), which sets a minimum standard for vessel energy efficiency. A more stringent EEDI is set to be introduced in 2020. A third target is under review and may be phased in as soon as 2022. A fourth phase cannot be ruled out. These later targets will be informed partly by data on fuel consumption that internationally trading commercial vessels will have to collect from 2019. Meanwhile, from 2018, the EU Monitoring, Reporting, Verification (MRV) regulation requires shipowners and operators to annually monitor, report and verify CO 2 emissions for vessels larger than 5,000 tonnes calling at any EU port.
The commercial benefits of better energy management mean vessel operators and other stakeholders are almost without exception closely monitoring developments. Respondents emphasised the need to keep abreast of the evolving regulatory landscape for alternative power arrangements. The majority of respondents don’t recognise regulation as a hindrance to adopting fuel alternatives but recognise there should be a focus on crew and shore based personnel to have the necessary competencies to safely use and maintain new equipment.
Unsurprisingly, liquefied natural gas (LNG) was the clear first choice among our respondents. The attractions are self evident: it burns cleanly and is abundant and hence cheap. Moreover it is a known quantity: the technology is proven, and the risks are well understood with regulatory instruments (such as the International Gas Code) in place and plentiful guidance to ensure safe operation when using it as a fuel. It should be remembered that LNG naturally boiling off from gas cargo has fuelled LNG carriers for decades. The transition to other ship types began in Scandinavia in 2000, particularly among ferries and short-sea vessels. This initial regional success can be attributed partly to a lack of bunkering facilities at a global level. The geographic spread of refuelling stations and other infrastructure is now expanding and the indications are that vessels are following. Nevertheless the growing popularity of LNG as a fuel could pose new risks. It was suggested that having novice or less experienced crew working with such a highly volatile fuel might lead to incidents.
Renewables, especially solar and wind, were well represented as energy alternatives. While both can contribute to auxiliary power requirements, neither currently offer sufficient energy density to dependably satisfy the power
Reduced fuel consumption Enhanced energy efficiency Improved corporate reputation Optimised operational profile
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needed for ship propulsion. Another approach is indirect exploitation whereby electricity
Evaluating energy management options
Port infrastructure is not adequate to support new solutions and strategies (e.g. shore power)
generated by land based renewable energy plants charges batteries for use at sea. Battery technology has improved considerably in recent years, driven by the automotive industry, but it is unlikely that standalone battery operation is feasible for transoceanic voyages. There is hope for smaller operations: an emissions free fully electric car ferry entered operation in the Norwegian fjords in 2015. The energy costs of the 80m long ship are reported to be 60% less than a conventional design.
cost
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Alternative compliance solutions and strategies will see the most growth
regulation
reliability
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