Transporting hydrogen and ammonia via shipping presents complex challenges in terms of transportation, bunkering, storage and use. What must be done to manage the toxic and flammable properties of hydrogen and ammonia to bring their risk profile in line with biofuels, methanol and LNG?

Many argue that alternative fuels will not be able to be scaled and de-risked at the rates needed to reach maritime emission reduction targets. Portable nuclear reactors running on Thorium are being touted as a viable solution for decarbonisation of the shipping industry. Thorium’s 100-year half-life, compared to uranium’s several thousand years half-life is further advancing research in nuclear technology and materials development.

Technologies such as AI, blockchain and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can be deployed to reduce ocean freight emissions through effective route planning and navigation, energy management and optimisation, predictive maintenance, and the optimisation of alternative fuels. What solutions currently exist to reduce emissions across the ocean freight ecosystem and how can next-generation technologies contribute to overall maritime decarbonisation?

This talk will focus on two areas of activity relevant to marine transportation, decarbonisation and desulfurisation. A possible approach to using cryogenic carbon capture technology to decarbonise the flue gas and store the captured CO2 as a supercritical liquid on-board will be discussed. The second topic will address the conversion of HSFO to VLSFO in a low capex process used to reach IMO 2020 regulations on sulphur content and discuss the techno-economics of this approach. The uODS process is ideal for small to medium refineries that will continue to produce HFO and bunkering facilities as it is low temperature, low pressure, and low capital.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is being deployed along shorter shipping routes and on port handling equipment. For longer distances, PEM fuel cell technology can offer a potential near-term hybrid solution for maritime decarbonisation. Despite barriers in bunkering networks and clear standardisation, how will green hydrogen’s potential cost competitiveness with fossil fuels drive innovation in fuel cell solutions, enabling alternative fuel options to be scaled across the shipping industry?