Page 55 - European Energy Innovation - autumn 2017 publication

Autumn 2017 European Energy Innovation 55
Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel
SGMF – 4 years and counting
By SGMF London Secretariat, Mark Bell General Manager
AGlobal sulphur cap for
marine heavy fuel oils will burning refined oil fuels. However
signify the end to a one
fuel for all for shipping
from 2020 onwards. Whilst apparently
slow to change, maritime is grappling
with a hunt for alternative and more
environmentally friendly fuels. Natural
gas is amongst the contenders to help
bridge the gap and it offers significant
advantages for the industry, but it is
not the ultimate solution by any means.
Since the switch to oil for fuel as
marine propulsion, maritime has
developed sophisticated machinery
to effectively utilise what is left at the
bottom of a barrel of crude after all
the goodies have been refined and
taken out. Ultimately these oils include
sulphur in various quantities and,
from 2020, this cannot be more than
0.5% for shipping. Other industries
such as automotive, utilities and
power are also switching fuels, and
gas is on the agenda for them too.
However ships by their autonomous
nature need portable fuels and natural
gas is a very good fit. Other fuels,
typically methanol and ethanol are
also in the mix as are Nuclear and
Hydrogen. However availability and
cost lead to the choice of natural gas
with a clear break in any link to the
price of oil expected over the coming
years. Nuclear remains a sound
and understood source of power
for ships but it is hard to imagine
its widespread acceptance and use
for what is a current world fleet of
some 55,000 merchant ships over
500 [GRT]. Hydrogen is an ultimate
solution having zero emissions upon
combustion except for water. However
its production, containment and are
still at least a generation away, leaving
natural gas as a sound intermediate
fuel until those solutions are found.
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
There is the option of the industry
their price is uncertain and the
environmental benefits not as great.
In fact, the operator right now can
continue to use heavy fuel oil so long
as the exhaust is washed clean of
sulphur. As we speak this acidic water
wash may be pumped overboard,
effectively cutting pollution to
atmosphere and polluting the oceans,
but it wont be long before this practice
is banned. Regulatory uncertainty here
sees an extremely low take up for this
high investment for shipowners with
current newbuildings.
Aside from the Scandinavian short
sea area and back to back ferry
operations, the significant sectors
are cruise and container. Cruise sees
almost all newbuildings with gas
as fuel. It is container however the
deep sea container sector that will set
the dominoes falling in LNG fuelled
newbuildings and the 2020 deadline
might just be the catalyst for the switch issues surrounding the use of LNG as a
to LNG.
Whilst there is a vast difference
between carrying LNG in bulk on a
ship and burning it for propulsive
power, natural gas is liquefied to
provide transportation efficiencies
and in both cases these cryogenic
technicalities are well known and
understood. Nearly 50 years of
operations in LNG transportation has
proved the process of authoritative
and careful development of industry
guidelines and with sensible regulation
as the right way to go.
SGMF has been is established as the
Industry representative framework
organisation that works to keep the
use of LNG safe and efficient whilst
advocating its use safely and correctly.
LNG
Publications to date have been
numerous and their goal is to develop
guidelines than can be used by
appropriate authorities for standards
that can be safe and more widely used,
and at the same time, the multitude of
benefits from its use are realised.
Since its instigation in the Autumn
of 2013 SGMF, Society for Gas as a
Marine Fuel has set up shop in the
City of London as a wholly separate,
but complementary NGO to the
others that already exist. Much as the
regulatory bible for LNG transportation
has become the IGC code; the IGF
code covers all matters pertaining
to the use of LNG on ships as a fuel.
Industry is recognising the significant
difference in the issues between the
two and it is no different when it comes
to regulation and the need for the
Industry body has never been greater.
As of now 120 members from across
the industry and growing, the pace of
the maritime industry embracing the
fuel is taking place.
In 2017 there has been a step change
in LNG bunker delivery capacity
worldwide from 1 vessel of just 150
[m3] capacity to seven vessels from
SGMF member organisations with
27500 [m3] between them. These
delivery vessels represent both a
huge investment and significant
commitment and I am confident we
will see the same step change in the
number of ships using gas as a fuel,
placing LNG firmly in the mix for
marine fuels for the foreseeable
future. ●
For more information:
Mark.Bell@sgmf.info
www.sgmf.info