GREEN PORTS

Is it possible to provide reliable, cost-effective, and low-emission power to ports? Robert

Schluter of e1Marine

believes the answer lies in methanol-tohydrogen technology – and has a plan to achieve change

Robert Schluter Managing Director, e1 Marine

WHY PORTS HOLD

THE POWER

Due to the supply chain crisis, a light is shining on the underinvestment in ports. As a key player in the maritime industry, ports can improve the sustainability of the entire supply chain process.

There is a growing need for ports’ dynamic energy demands to be met in an adaptive, flexible and expandable manner. This is coming in several forms, most notably through demands for greater sustainability, and global warming creating more volatile weather conditions that’s affecting the reliability of power in ports.

Efforts have been underway to reduce ports’ Scope 2 and 3 emissions, but port operations, including the operation of vessels at berth, remain major contributors to local air pollution. The European Commission plans “to regulate access of the most polluting ships to EU ports and to oblige docked ships to use shore-side electricity” within its Green Deal. From 2025, all EU ports will be required to have cold ironing provision by the end of 2025.

There is also growing political pressure in North America and at many of the biggest ports in Southeast Asia to better regulate shipping emissions. Even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has adopted emission standards for diesel engines, it recently estimated that 40% of the nation’s major ports are in or near areas that have violated National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Additionally, approximately, one-third to one-half of the emissions come from vessels’ auxiliary diesel engines which are run while the vessel is at berth, when they require electrical power for services ranging from lighting to loading. The potential for progress is huge.

ADDING INFRASTRUCTURE TO MITIGATE EMISSIONS

Several ports have developed the infrastructure, regulations or incentives that help to mitigate shipping emissions in ports. However, it still remains relatively uncommon for all three to exist on a global

scale. However, there is a common trend that many ports, including the Port of Rotterdam and Peel Ports, are publicly stating their aim to become net zero, both for the port infrastructure and for the vessels that are visiting.

The increase in drive to do this will ignite progress, it’s just about providing the catalyst to make it a reality and finding the viable solution.

In many ports, the availability of electricity connections isn’t anywhere near the demand required. Many ports, for example, are located near major cities with their own huge electricity demands.

Connected to that is the reality that shore power not only requires an onshore power connection, but also ships that are able to connect to this power source. For this reason, shore power is most feasible right now for point-to-point connections, such as ferries, container lines and ro/ro- ships.

Efforts to reduce vessel port emissions involves requiring ships to shut off diesel engines while at berth to reduce the significant emissions produced by a ship’s diesel engines. In cold-ironing, a vessel at berth electrically connects to a source of electricity on the shore such as the grid, and shuts down its auxiliary engines.

Power for hotel and other ship loads is supplied from shore power (electric grids) or could be provided by barges or shore-side systems of clean power generation when power is not available at the pier.

The practice is common in the U.S. Navy but barely utilised for large commercial vessels. Until recently, only a handful of ports in the world have provided cold-ironing capability to shipping vessels or cruise ships.

However, grid power is rarely available in the volumes required, and the cost of bringing grid power to the pier is cost prohibitive.

Faced with these hurdles, and growing social, regulatory, and financial demands for greater sustainability, ports are looking to meet their dynamic energy demands in adaptive, flexible, and scalable ways. FUEL CELL POWER SOLUTION

Fuel cell technology offers a viable solution to this challenge. The solution is ideal for a wide range of marine applications, marine power, cold ironing, reefer, micro grid and EV charging.

The most successful ship type to benefit would be smaller vessels such as tugs offshore support vessels while also tanker and container ships have high potential.

This solution is ideal for both short and deep-sea shipping, as well as port side power. Navigating the changing tides won’t be easy and zero-carbon shipping will require the evolution of many maritime business models, but solutions are available that can make progress now. e1 Marine has developed a containerised 400 kW methanol/fuel cell power solution that can provide near-zero emission MW scale power at the pier, on a barge, or onboard a vessel.

Fuel cells operating on hydrogen produced from e1 Marine’s methanol to hydrogen generators are a quiet, efficient, and can readily support port cold ironing applications.

The e1 Marine solution consumes 35% less energy than diesel-generators and is cost-effective today even before considering any new regulations or carbon tax.

As well as producing zero particulates, zero NOX, zero SOX emissions and 28% less CO2 than a diesel generator, the e1 Marine solution is able to meet all future regulatory requirements by switching to renewable methanol.

“Efforts to reduce vessel port emissions involves requiring ships to shut off diesel engines while at berth”

ADDING THE POWER OF METHANOL

The e1 Marine hydrogen generator uses catalytic steam reforming to produce hydrogen from methanol and water. One-third of the hydrogen produced is attributable to the addition of water, which can be recycled from the PEM fuel cell exhaust. The system produces zero particulates, zero NOx, zero SOx, and far less CO2 than a diesel generator. And, if you use renewable methanol, the system produces nearzero greenhouse gas emissions.

The technology has many advantages over diesel engines, including superior fuel efficiency, low maintenance, and minimal repair costs. The product hydrogen output from the generator meets ISO standards. It is ideal for fuel cells to generate electricity or directly into a conventional engine to supplement the standard fuel. Power output from the system paired with fuel cells can range from 100kW to 2MW and more.

Additionally, methanol offers far greater hydrogen density; it is a far safer and cheaper solution, it is an environmentally friendly noncryogenic liquid. It is available in 88 of the world’s top 100 ports and can be 100% renewable.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has calculated that the total energy demand and consumption of sea-going vessels at its berths – the world’s 10th busiest port – amounts to approximately 750-850GWh (equivalent to 250,000 households) each year. In addition, fueled by growth of population, economy and trade, the OECD / ITF estimates that shipping emissions in ports will grow fourfold up to 2050.

With the high energy demands of ports only set to increase, this demand needs to be met in an adaptive, flexible, and expandable manner. Pressure for greater sustainability is growing, but for ports to meet this demand, shore power not only requires an on-shore power connection, but also ships that are able to connect to this power source. The demand is here, and methanol can meet it.