ALTERNATIVE FUELS VIEWPOINT

Wärtsilä Marine Power’s Mikael

Wideskog explains how taking a stepby-step approach to engine solutions and working with trusted, reliable industry partners is the best approach to take the industry to full decarbonisation

Mikael Wideskog Director – Sustainable Fuels and Decarbonisation, Wärtsilä Marine Power

TIME TO TAKE

ACTION

With the dust settling on the outcomes of COP27, the main takeaway for shipping is a reinforced commitment to the routes to net zero set out the previous year in Glasgow. Steps such as the launch of the Green Shipping Challenge by the US and Norway to align maritime decarbonisation with the Paris Agreement, and renewed pledges from multiple nations to establish green shipping corridors aren’t new – but it’s clear that those at COP are looking to maintain the focus on green fuels and international co-operation as drivers of decarbonisation.

Going into MEPC79 in December, where the International Maritime Organization will discuss potential revisions to its GHG strategy, outlined in 2018, it demonstrates the consistent message coming from regulators that the industry should be heading for net zero – and quickly.

These commitments also show how the timeline for reducing emissions and improving our sector’s sustainable credentials will not be only driven exclusively by shipping’s organisational bodies, but also by other legislators and financial initiatives. For example, the European Union is adding greater pressure on shipping through its Fuel EU Maritime initiative, and we are seeing the critical role that finance will play driving real change through the Poseidon Principles.

The outcomes of COP27, coupled with external investors, regulators and broader society keeping a closer watch on the industry’s progress, shows the importance for shipping to maintain its course and focus on making the right steps, at the right time, to progress its decarbonisation journey.

The current levels of investment, research and development across engine technologies and future fuels must therefore continue to mirror the sense of urgency driven from climate talks as well as the legislative framework. But in this context, how can ship

owners ensure that they keep up? Adhering to tightening environmental rules, while juggling continued profitability is a concern for many shipowners and operators.

To counter this complexity, and to protect asset value throughout the decarbonisation process, Wärtsilä’s approach is to view the decarbonisation journey as a staircase – every action taken today moves us one step further up towards our ultimate goals.

There is a fuel and technology strategy to suit every vessel – the challenge is to find it. Viewing decarbonisation as a staircase – with many individual steps – is useful in that it allows us to tackle each opportunity as it arises. The final step is 100% use of alternative fuels, but there are many intermediate steps to get there.

One such example would be beginning to use sustainable biofuel. Biofuels play a valuable role in lowering emissions in the short to medium term without a capital-intensive fleet renewal or retrofitting, and can be blended with conventional fuels.

Our recent partnership with Holland American Line and GoodFuels – where the Wärtsilä ZA40 engine was used to run a 20-day trial of sustainable biofuel to reduce CO2 emissions by around 80% – demonstrates that taking action to improve shipping’s sustainability is possible today with existing technologies. Each step that we can take right now makes the overall journey towards low carbon shipping easier

Important steps

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is also recognised as another important step that can be taken today. Although LNG is a fossil-based fuel, it can already reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5-20% when calculated on a well-to-wake basis.

One of the most promising characteristics of LNG is that it opens the door to greener options in the future – bio-LNG and synthetic-LNG – that will enable further GHG emissions reductions when readily available.

Other steps that shipowners can take today, either for retrofit or newbuild projects, include installing efficiency-boosting technology – such as wind-assist, propulsion system improvements, air lubrication or hybridisation – which all present additional avenues for nearterm benefits.

A crucially important step is to invest in an engine now that unlocks a wider range of fuel options and possibilities for the future is a good insurance premium indeed, especially as we wait for future fuels to become available. In recognition of the need for future fuel flexibility, we recently

launched the Wärtsilä 25 and Wärtsilä 46TS-DF engines to our multi-fuel engine portfolio.

The Wärtsilä 25 engine is already capable of operating on diesel, LNG, or either gas or liquid carbonneutral biofuels, and can easily be upgraded to operate with future low or zero-carbon fuels as they become available.

It is intended to be the first engine to run on ammonia as a fuel in our portfolio, and development is currently underway with a technology concept ready for 2023, followed by a planned product release soon thereafter.

The 46TS-DF has two-stage turbocharging to deliver high levels of efficiency and power density across a wide operational range for vessels in all segments of the industry. This level of efficiency reduces fuel consumption and lowers emissions, while being easily retrofittable for future carbon-neutral and carbon-free fuels as they become widely available.

Future pathways

Ultimately, the future pathway towards decarbonisation is likely to come from the use of clean fuels, and when these are readily available, they can be used either in whole or blended with conventional fuels or will require alternative power sources.

Methanol and ammonia are emerging as viable and attractive final steps, and the industry is already making positive progress towards bringing these alternative fuels online.

Next year will see the first Wärtsilä commercial newbuilding methanol engine in service, which follows our many full-scale engine tests that assess the optimum engine parameters for running on hydrogen and ammonia. In addition, an engine concept running on ammonia will be developed in the next year.

Bringing these technologies online will require close collaboration with partners to ensure we are empowering the industry with the tools it needs for full decarbonisation.

To ensure we are continually working on and investing in future fuels, Wärtsilä is part of many collaborative projects. This includes the EU-funded projects Ammonia 2-4 – to accelerate ammonia engine development – and Green Ray Project – a collaborative effort to develop solutions that will minimise methane slip from engines.

These projects help the industry to advance the environmental and climate benefits of future fuels. With these projects and the industry’s broader efforts to scale the future fuels supply chain and infrastructure, a collaborative approach and a deep understanding of the operational concerns of today will put shipping in the best possible position to de-risk decarbonisation, one step at a time.

The future fuels era is still developing, and the scaling up of low or zero-carbon fuels is continuing to move quickly, but the infrastructure and global availability still needs additional time to develop further.

Understanding the options that are available today is a key way to deliver meaningful emissions benefits immediately, and this comes from making the right decisions today and working with the right partners.

The climb up the staircase towards green fuels is likely to be slow, but relentless. According to DNV’s Maritime Forecast to 2050, in 2030 the share of green fuels will be less than 20%, in 2040 approximately 50% and in 2050 have reached 100%.

During this period, future fuel availability will increase to a volume that should reach the level of availability shipping needs.

Achieving a smooth transition will need to take place on a per-vessel basis with a trusted, reliable partner. By taking a consultative approach for each individual customer, and understanding their core operational requirements, we can advise on the best course of action, providing a futureproofed solution that considerably opens their options in the future and enables them to take steps today.

“We must paint a clear picture and highlight not only the benefits that new technologies can deliver in the short term, but also focus on how they can provide a future-proofed and flexible solution on assets that will last for 20 or 30 years”

Future-proof solution

Naturally, there are financial and operational concerns to be considered. Investment in new technology carries an element of risk for shipowners and operators, so we must paint a clear picture and highlight not only the benefits that new technologies can deliver in the short term, but also focus on how they can provide a future-proofed and flexible solution on assets that will last for 20 or 30 years.

Considerable decarbonisation progress is already being made, but that is no excuse for the industry to rest on its laurels. Real change can happen today, with the right investment and with informed decision making. Add on the fact that rules will only tighten, and the shipping companies that take action on decarbonisation today will be the ones that benefit the most in the future.