Fleet performance solutions provider Oceanly has warned that an over-zealous push to adopt green fuels may lead to increased global emissions.
As the marine shipping industry pushes ahead with the adoption of alternative fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, biofuels, and liquefied natural gas (LNG), Oceanly beleives it could be compounding the very problem it is aiming to solve. The key challenge in scaling green fuels is the high demand for renewable electricity, with current estimates suggesting that the shipping industry would need a substantial share of the world’s renewable electricity production, which is a target that seems unattainable in the short to medium term.
Frederik Lerche-Tornoe, vice president general manager at Oceanly, said: “While alternative fuels are part of the future, current infrastructure and energy availability isn’t enough to support a full transition. Relying too heavily on green hydrogen, could strain global renewable energy resources given that only a fraction of today’s hydrogen production is classified as ‘green.’”
He continued: “There’s a vital need for balance. Focusing on immediate improvements in energy efficiency offers a more achievable path to reducing emissions now, especially as most vessels have yet to adopt energy-saving technologies, leaving the potential for progress.”
Oceanly, which provides fleet monitoring and energy optimisation tools, believes the focus should be on smarter practices and incremental improvements until renewable technologies are more accessible, to counteract inefficiencies involved in producing and using green fuels. “Improving energy efficiency across the global fleet is the most important step we can take in the short term, rather than immediately switching to green,” he stated.
