Rolls-Royce Marine: Fuel Choices Growing More Complex

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday August 18, 2014

The fuel choices for ships are growing, leading to a more complicated calculus for owners and operators, Oskar Levander, vice president of innovation, engineering and technology at Rolls-Royce Marine told industry news site Marine Link.

While owners have traditionally used heavy fuel oil (HFO) for large ships and more expensive fuel for smaller ships and particular vessel types like offshore support vessels (OSVs), new environmental regulations, including sulfur limits in emissions control areas (ECAs), are complicating decisions on bunkers, Levander said.

Ninety percent of the global fleet now operates on HFO, with diesel fuels making up almost all of the rest, but liquefied natural gas (LNG) has emerged as a growing choice, and some in the industry are looking at other potential fuels such as methanol, dimethyl ether, and biofuels.

Pricing and availability of various fuels, as well as operating region and patterns, now affect owners' decisions on fuel.

"For two similar ships with different operating profiles one may opt for LNG while the other will select diesel," Levander said.

"In fuel selection there is no longer a simple right choice."

In January, DNV GL released a position paper arguing that the long-term fuel mix for shipping will include a diverse range of fuels, including biodiesel, methanol, and hydrogen.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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