Faced with decarbonization pressure and driving force, shipping companies have begun to build new environmentally friendly ships, retrofit existing ships, or change routes, reduce freight, use new energy, and so on.
Ammonia is the most promising zero-carbon clean energy, said Hu Keyi, chief expert of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and director of Jiangnan Shipbuilding's Science and Technology Committee, at MarineTech·2024 Connecting the Shipping.
Mr. Hu mentioned that the use of alternative fuels is a must for decarbonization. New energy power has become the " key" for most new ship orders, and LNG is a good choice for reducing NOx and SOx emissions. Although the effect of reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions is not obvious, LNG is still one of the most mature and favored fuels among all the alternative fuels.
Mr. Hu added, "Full combustion of ammonia produces only nitrogen, water and heat. In addition, ammonia is easy to store and transport, and has the potential to be used as a bulk energy. The International Energy Agency has also indicated that ammonia is the primary route to net-zero emissions from ships."
Mr. Hu said that the current ammonia fuel cell technology is developing rapidly, but it can only meet the requirements of short-distance transportation, but there are still obstacles to the application of high-power, long-distance sailing needs of the ship. The research and development of ammonia-fueled internal combustion engine is the key to promote ammonia-fueled ships. The two-stroke marine engine is expected to be ready for commercial operation on board in 2024 to 2025 at the earliest.
by Xinde Marine News
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Xinde Marine News.
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