New ‘Zero Emission Vessels 2030’ study shows opportunity for biofuels

In the UK, Lloyd’s Register and University Maritime Advisory Services (UMAS) have released ‘Zero Emission Vessels 2030’, a new study that aims to demonstrate the viability of zero emission vessels (ZEVs) – identifying what needs to be in place to make them a competitive solution for decarbonization.

Although none of the ZEVs are estimated to be more competitive than conventional shipping by 2030, the technology options are evolving rapidly and it’s possible that over the next 10 years the gap could reduce even further than this study estimates. If this gap does not close then there may be a need for regulatory intervention in the near future, to drive the viability compared to conventional fossil fuels.

This new report assesses seven technology options for ZEVs, applied to five different case study ship types across three different regulatory and economic scenarios. These options consist of various combinations of battery, synthetic fuels and biofuel for the onboard storage of energy, coupled with either a fuel cell and motor, internal combustion engine; or a motor for the conversion of that energy store into the mechanical and electrical energy required for propulsion and auxiliary services.

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