10 minute read
Flying the flag of decarbonisation
Whilst safety has dominated the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) agenda since it was established in 1948 (coincidentally the same year that the Liberian Registry was established), in recent years the environment and in particular air emissions have taken the top spot and will probably stay the main item on IMO’s agenda until international shipping has met the decarbonisation goals set forth by the IMO.
Decarbonisation is the regulatory issue that is most affecting shipping now, and it will shape the course of the industry for generations to come. How the industry looks at the implementation of new technologies, new fuel sources, and changing operational methods to meet the IMO’s goals on emissions will be a matter of great concern for some shipowners, seafarers, class societies, and flag states. However, some key stakeholders will also see this as a huge opportunity to transform the maritime industry along the lines of environmental sustainability, paving the way for an even brighter future through zero emission vessels for international shipping.
The Liberian Registry has taken a leading role from the flag state perspective to work in close collaboration with high quality shipowners/operators, engine manufacturers, shipyards, and designers, as well as classification societies and other key stakeholders to take this opportunity to transform the maritime industry toward a zeroemission sustainable future.
Greenhouse gas reduction measures
After the recent IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 76), it is now known that IMO adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex VI that will require ships to further reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These amendments combine technical and operational approaches to improve the energy efficiency of ships, and they also provide important building blocks for future GHG reduction measures.
The technical measures that were adopted require all ships to calculate their Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and is applicable from the first annual, intermediate, or renewal IAPP survey after 1 January 2023. In addition, ships 5000 t and above will be required to establish their annual operational carbon intensity indicator
Thomas Klenum and Dallas Smith, Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR), look at the decarbonisation of shipping from the perspective of a flag state, and outline how the IMO’s agenda is set to shape the industry.
Figure 1. The first ever ship-to-ship LNG fuelling of a large capacity Aframax tanker in the US, outside the Port of Canaveral, Florida, 15 March 2021.
(CII) and CII rating. Carbon intensity links the GHG emissions to the amount of cargo carried over distance travelled. Starting in 2024, ships will get a CII rating of their energy efficiency using rating categories A, B, C, D, or E, where A is best. Ships rated D or E for three consecutive years will be required to submit a corrective action plan, to show how the required index (C or above) would be achieved.
Navigating change
Now that the new requirements are known, shipowners have very important decisions to make with regards to the technologies to be retrofitted or installed aboard their ships and the design of future ships to be ordered. As a regulator, the Liberian Registry has always, and will continue to, actively support the shipowners flying the Liberian flag. This support includes guidance in making informed decisions, ensuring safe operations, compliance with current or forthcoming rules and regulations, and thus achieving the goals set forth by the industry.
Liberia is very active in the implementation of emerging and new technologies and the Registry’s global team provides capabilities that continue to make it a go-to flag for ship owners. This is evident not only from the continuous fleet growth of the Registry, but also by the fact that Liberia has both the most dual-fuelled, deep-draft vessels and the fastest growing gas carrier fleet in the world. These results are due, in large part, to the Registry’s global 24/7 presence and support, easy processes and procedures, and cost savings benefits, but most importantly because of the people. The Registry’s dedicated Global Gas Team supports the gas fleet throughout the full lifecycle, from design to construction and delivery, during operation. This team can assist in the review of future vessel designs, offer insights and recommendations to mitigate risks/costs, technical and safety implications, and demonstrate compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
Another contributing factor to the growth success of the Liberian flag is the early involvement in prospective new ship designs featuring the latest technology, innovative design features, as well as alternative fuels. This is achieved through participation in joint industry projects (JIP) with key stakeholders such as high-quality shipyards, designers, and classification societies. The team of highly qualified personnel adds value to these JIPs by using the provisions in the international regulatory framework allowing for a risk-based approval approach demonstrating an at least equivalent level of safety as the prescriptive rules and regulations as the way forward to approve new technologies and alternative fuels. These JIPs lead to an Approval in Principle (AiP) of a concept design that provides confidence to prospective shipowners that the detailed design with the innovative features can also be approved, constructed, and enter into operation gaining a competitive advantage. These JIPs therefore pave the way for a multifold win-win situation for the involved stakeholders. This is the key for the industry to unlock the potential to fully decarbonise international shipping.
Figure 2. Sovcomflot dual-fuelled Aframax tankers.
Figure 3. Aframax ship specifically designed to operate on cleaner LNG fuel.
A market shift to transitional fuels
The trend in the market is that of a shift from heavy fuel oil (HFO) to alternative fuels such as LNG and others. Many shipowners and operators are moving in the direction of gas, whether it is LNG, propane, or ethane, but these are being considered transitional fuels. The reason liquefied gases are considered transitional fuels is because they still contain carbon, but they will play a large role in achieving the goals set forth by the IMO for the reduction of emissions. LNG’s carbon component makes it unsuitable for end-state emission goals, but its advantages during the transition period cannot be denied.
The reasons for LNG adoption are simple: there is abundance of supply, it is cost-effective, it is effective and manageable, and it is a readily available fuel solution that achieves the current goals set forth by the IMO. For example, emissions from LNG are significantly lower when compared to traditional HFO: 100% less sulfur oxide (SOx); 100% lower particulate matter (PM); 90% less nitrogen oxide (NOx) and a 20 - 25% reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2). As of the time of writing this article, the US has already had three different Liberian flagged LNG-powered vessels successfully undergo LNG bunkering. These were the first foreign-flagged vessels to be approved to conduct this operation.
But LNG is not the only option to lower emissions, though it is the most shovel ready at the moment. Liquefied hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol are also possibilities. Hydrogen is an attractive fuel source due to its cleanliness. Hydrogen does not release any CO2 when burned and liquefied hydrogen can charge batteries for electrical propulsion via fuel cell technology. Hydrogen is normally stored and transported as a liquid, and this is where the difficulties are seen. Liquid hydrogen is approximately four times larger by volume than conventional diesel, which presents a challenge when
considering ship fuel capacity and endurance. As a liquid, hydrogen needs to be refrigerated to -253˚C or pressurised to 700 bar, both of which are hard to achieve and even harder to maintain in a vessel. In addition, hydrogen has a significant flammability window (4 - 75% by volume of air), and hydrogen-to-air mixtures can ignite with one-tenth of the energy input required to ignite a comparable gasoline-air mixture.
Ammonia does not produce CO2 when burned and is another possibility of reaching the IMO’s decarbonisation targets. Ammonia is twice as energy-rich as liquid hydrogen by weight. It has fewer storage issues than hydrogen as it can be stored at ambient temperature under a pressure of 10 bar or refrigerated to -34˚C without pressure. However, it has less than half the energy density of HFO by weight and just a third by volume, which make its use as a vessel fuel a challenge. Another disadvantage to ammonia is that when combusted, the nitrogen present will produce NOx, itself a GHG. Extremely toxic even at relatively low levels, care is needed in containment systems and ammonia could pose problems for crew and salvors in a damaged situation.
Like LNG, hydrogen, and ammonia, methanol significantly reduces emissions of SOx, NOx, and particulate matter, and with the ability to be produced from renewable sources, it offers a pathway to meeting future emissions regulations as well. That being said, when produced from natural gas, CO2 is also produced. Another challenge for methanol is its low energy content and the comparatively lower amount of energy it can store in the tanks of a ship. Methanol’s specific energy is much lower than that of LNG and conventional liquid fuels. For the same energy content, methanol requires approximately 2.5 times more storage volume than conventional fuels.
It should be noted that whilst this article focuses on LNG, hydrogen, ammonia and methanol, the Liberian Registry does not favour one particular fuel over another. On the contrary, the Liberian Registry is working in close collaboration with shipowners and other key stakeholders to support the industry in complying with increasingly stricter environmental requirements on the joint pathway to reach zero emission shipping as soon as possible. These measures will allow the industry to comply with the IMO’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Strategy and contribute to a goal of the United Nations’ Paris Agreement, to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2˚C while pursuing means to limit the increase even further to 1.5˚C.
Conclusion
While the industry is trying to determine how to best meet these new requirements, the Liberian Registry is positioning itself to provide owners and operators with a capable and experienced team to assist in this process from the regulatory stand point. Liberia has been partnering with shipowners and operators on the smooth implementation and compliance with these new regulations in a practical way, across a spectrum of technologies and options. The Liberian Registry’s Global Gas Team is working diligently to ensure owners and operators have a viable solution.
Note
All images courtesy of Sovcomflot.
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