Future Fuels News

Wärtsilä introduced the NextDF feature for the Wärtsilä 25DF dual-fuel engine, which means while operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG), the NextDF feature reduces methane emissions to less than two percent of fuel use across all load points, achieving as low as 1.1 percent in a wide load range. What’s more, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are lower than on the standard Wärtsilä 25DF engine which already has low emission levels below IMO Tier III.Launched in 2022, the Wärtsilä 25 engine platform offers a modular…

On October 1, 2024, NYK began operation of a test engine facility in Chiba Prefecture to evaluate the safety of new fuels.The introduction of new marine fuels used to necessitate testing and analysis at external engine facilities, in addition to trial operations, all of which would require about two years to complete. Shortening this period and reducing the cost of testing have been key to meeting the increasing demand for new fuels, such as biofuels, and satisfying the environmental regulatory measures of various countries.

The world’s first accreditation* for “Machinery Room Safety for Ammonia” (MRS) will be granted by ClassNK for the ammonia-fueled medium gas carrier (AFMGC) currently being developed by a consortium that includes Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd. (NSY). MRS is Class notation demonstrating a ship is equipped with excellent ammonia safety measures for the machinery room. MRS also confirms the vessel meets the highest safety measures under the guidelines for ammonia-fueled ships.Ship Type: 40,000-cu.-m.

Strong demand is driving development but emissions issues remain, writes René Sejer Laursen, ABS Director – Fuels & Technology, Global SustainabilityThe interest in ammonia stems both from its zero emissions when used as fuel and because its production isn’t dependent on biogenic carbon sources.To realize large-scale production of green ammonia to serve new markets, its production capacity, along with that of renewable electricity and green hydrogen, will need to grow tremendously.Current…

Long-term initiatives led by classification societies are building the foundation for future fuels uptake.About this time last year, ABS CEO Chris Wiernicki said: “When you look at where we are and the steepness of the curve ahead, the biggest risk is the unintended safety consequences of change.” Class, he says, is built for the intersection between technology, safety and regulations and must be prepared.Work is underway. China Classification Society (CCS), for example, has released…

Technical inquiries to SRC Group ramped up after it received Approval in Principle (AIP) for a concept which ‘reinvented methanol fuel storage’ on board ships. Delivering the answers has seen technical talk converting into project discussions        ‘Green’ methanol has the ability to one day run vessels almost emission-free, and commercial shipping increasingly investigates. Derived today principally from natural gas, methanol is nonetheless available, relatively easy to handle and predictable.

“The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) targets for the use of zero or near-zero fuels in 2030 can be met using sustainable biofuels. Many different sectors will compete for those fuels, so shipping is focusing on transitioning to alternative green and blue fuels. Today, only 1% of bulk, container, and tanker ships are prepared for using these fuels and fuel availability is low,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.The IMO targets that near-zero greenhouse gas emission fuels shall represent at least 5% of the energy used by shipping in 2030…

NYK, JERA Co., Inc. and Resonac Holdings Corporation signed an agreement to jointly study the supply of ammonia as fuel to ships.As part of the Green Innovation Fund Project of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), NYK is conducting research and development of a tugboat equipped with a domestic ammonia-fueled engine (A-Tug) together with other partner companies. As part of this initiative, in conjunction with the completion of the A-Tug scheduled for next June…

ClassNK issued Approvals in Principle (AiPs) for four ship designs developed by Marine Design & Research Institute of China (MARIC).The four designs include:a 210k methanol dual-fueled bulk carrier, a 210k ammonia dual-fueled bulk carrier, a 210k LNG dual-fueled bulk carrier, and an 88k LPG dual-fueled very large gas carrier

CMB.TECH and Boeckmans will build four hydrogen-powered 5.000-dwt general cargo vessels with reduced greenhouse emissions.The first vessel is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2025. The vessels will be built at the Dung Quat shipyard in Vietnam and will be deployed on major sea routes, including northern Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and West Africa.The general cargo vessel, designed jointly with Handelskade, will contain diesel-electric engines placed under the ship's forward accommodation.

Energy ecosystems are evolving as the value of offshore power-to-X production is being realized.Flexible and delivered in long lengths on reels in a fast-track operation, thermoplastic composite pipeline can transfer up to nine times the amount of energy as a cable and can be used to store hydrogen, increasing the uptime of offshore wind farm generated power.That’s according to Netherlands based supplier Strohm, member of the Hydrogen Offshore Production for Europe (HOPE) project and the Dutch floating green hydrogen and ammonia OFFSET project.

Malaysia's MISC Group signed an agreement to develop ammonia engines for ships, marking a step towards zero-emission shipping operations, the company said.MISC-owned AET and Akademi Laut Malaysia (ALAM) have signed an agreement with WinGD to develop engines for ammonia dual-fuelled vessels, a first for deep-sea vessels, MISC said in a statement.ALAM also signed an agreement with shipping classification society DNV for the training, research and development of maritime professionals to meet workforce needs for a low- and zero-carbon pathway.

A.P. Moller - Maersk will retrofit an existing ship to have a dual-fuel methanol engine, a first for the container shipping industry.The retrofit is scheduled for 2024, and sister vessels are expected to follow when going for special survey in 2027.“We have set an ambitious net-zero emissions target for 2040 across the entire business and have taken a leading role in decarbonising logistics. Retrofitting of engines to run on methanol is an important lever in our strategy. With this initiative…

The energy transition is moving ahead amid recovery in offshore oil & gas and growth in offshore wind, leaving vessel owners that serve these markets with big questions about energy carrier and energy converter selection for their newbuilds.What is driving the change?The foundations of energy transition in the offshore and marine segment can be found at global, regional, national and local levels:At a global level, International Maritime Organization (IMO) measures cover vessel energy efficiency (for vessels over 400 gross tonnes) and carbon intensity (for vessels over 5…

The Methanol Institute (MI) has published the first comprehensive guide to methanol as a marine fuel.“Marine Methanol Future-Proof Shipping Fuel” includes sections that address regulatory drivers, environmental performance, engines and fuel systems, bunkering, handling and safety characteristics, costs and pricing, availability and feedstocks for conventional and renewable product. Also included are case studies on first movers including AP Moller-Maersk, Waterfront Shipping,…

As shipowners ponder future fuels, MAN Energy Solutions is sailing full speed ahead optimizing dual fuel marine powerplants while preparing to start testing ammonia fueled engines in early 2023. Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President, head of two stroke business at MAN ES hosted Maritime Reporter & Engineering News in Copenhagen for a look behind the scenes at a cornerstone of its mandate to ‘Move big things to Zero.’Just 10 years ago, in December 2012, word came that General Dynamics NASSCO finalized a contract with TOTE…

The total number of ships with alternative fuels ordered in 2022 was 275 (excluding battery operated vessels), according to  numbers released today from DNV viat its Alternative Fuels Insight report.In addition, more than 50 LPG carriers have been ordered with LPG dual fuel systems. Predictably, LNG led the way with 222 ships or 81 % of total orders. Seventy-four percent of these orders were for container vessels and Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs), while product tankers came in third representing 9 % of orders.

A group of academic and industrial partners were awarded a $6.7 million grant by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to accelerate understanding, technologies and policies relating to the use of ammonia as a sustainable fuel. The project begins in June 2022 and will run for 5 years.Entitled Decarbonized Clean Marine: Green Ammonia Thermal Propulsion (MariNH3), the project brings together academics from Nottingham, Birmingham, Brighton, Cardiff and STFC…

NYK Line, IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd., and ClassNK signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with City of Yokohama for the acceptance of an ammonia-fueled tugboat (A-Tug) at the port of Yokohama.The conclusion of this MoU is part of the Green Innovation Fund project within Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) for the development of vessels equipped with a domestically produced ammonia-fueled engines, adopted in October 2021 for NYK Line and IHI Power Systems Co.…

NYK and Nippon Yuka Kogyo Co., Ltd., an NYK Group company, have jointly developed a new fuel-oil additive effective in dispersing sludge and reducing fuel consumption in VLSFO.NYK and Nippon Yuka Kogyo have been investigating the properties of VLSFO as one of the measures to comply with SOx emission requirements, and in 2019 developed the sludge-dispersing fuel oil additive Yunic 800VLS.The companies observed Yunic 800VLS is effective against most of deteriorated compliant fuel oil…

Wärtsilä said it completed delivery of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel supply system (LFSS) to 15 very large gas carrier (VLGC) vessels owned and operated by BW LPG, which has the world’s largest fleet of VLGC vessels.BW LPG ordered the first four of these 15 systems in 2018, immediately following Wärtsilä’s full-scale testing of a full-sized two-stroke marine engine operating with LPG fuel. This was the world’s first such testing protocol, and the performance attained was seen as exceeding expectations.

Neste and Nordic Marine Oil have partnered to pilot a new Neste Marine 0.1 Co-processed marine fuel in Scandinavia – a solution the pair claims will help the maritime sector reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: designed to cut up to 80% GHG emission reduction over the lifecycle compared to fossil fuels.“At Neste, we are dedicated to helping our customers and the entire value chain to reduce their GHG emissions. In 2021, our renewable products helped customers to reduce 10.9 million tons of their GHG emissions. Maritime is one of the largest sources of transport emissions.

The Norwegian fish farming company Nova Sea and the well boat operating company North Salmon Services will collaborate with Gen2 Energy regarding the use of green hydrogen as a fuel for their ships.The parties have entered a Letter of Intent for exploring different opportunities for zero-emission vessels. Nova Sea is a fish-farming company, producing 50 000 tons of salmon a year. The company operates some 50 smaller boats and 2 larger well-boats through the well boat operating…