Future Fuels for Dredgers
Type:
Presented during:
WODCON XXII - Enhance the Harmony between Dredging and Ecology
Authors:
L.J.A. den Boer, M.B. Goncalves Castro and E.C. van der Blom
Abstract
"In the last century, the maritime sector has thrived on using Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO), the waste of the petrochemical industry, as a fuel, which has been efficiently and at low cost. The increasing focus on harmful emissions (NOx, SOx, PM) and carbon emission reduction leads to the need of using alternative, cleaner fuels. Royal IHC is a front runner on the adoption of cleaner fuels, with a track record on LNG fueled dredging vessels sailing and on order. Although certainly a cleaner option, LNG is still a fossil fuel. In the future, fossil-free alternative fuels will have to be adopted by the maritime sector. The use of alternative fuels is expected to be accelerated by the emission legislation developments, climate agreements (such as the Paris Agreement) and the introduction of future taxing systems, e.g. carbon taxing. This will be added to the total costs in the economic figures. The shift to zero emission dredgers (zero CO2, SOx, NOx and PM emissions) is expected to accelerate as a consequence of societal acceptance and legislation developments. Royal IHC expects that these developments will lead to a shift in the balance towards clean technologies and carbon-neutral fuels. In this paper alternative fuels are compared on availability, feasibility and CO2-equivalent impact. Also alternative drive systems are discussed such as electric drives, batteries and fuel cells. The assessment of alternative fuels requires an approach of Total Cost of Ownership, as each fuel has advantages and disadvantages and a trade-off must to be made between prime mover technology, storage and bunkering technology, investment and fuel costs, and exhaust emissions regulations. The paper will discuss some of the most promising carbon-neutral energy carriers for the maritime sector: Hydrogen Ammonia (hydrogen carrier) Renewable methanol Batteries Solar panels (PV) In order to anticipate to these developments, Royal IHC has taken the challenge to design a hydrogen powered hopper dredger. The number of hydrogen fueled road vehicles is increasing and has boosted the hydrogen technology of fuel cells and storage. This technology can be implemented in dredgers. The consequences with regard to vessel design, safety and operations will be discussed. A zero emission hydrogen powered dredger is presented and seems a viable solution."
Keywords: Future fuels, maritime energy transition, hydrogen, fuel cell, zero emission dredger