DNV GL: ECA Regs Are Pushing the Limits of What Can Be Achieved with Conventional Fuels and Scrubbers

DNV GL says that affordability, sustainability, and safety form a "trilemma" in fuel selection for meeting regulatory requirements on emissions.

DNV GL says regulatory requirements for CO2, SOx, and NOx emissions are "pushing the limits" of what can be achieved with conventional bunker fuel and scrubbers.

In its recently released position paper, "The Fuel Trilemma: Next Generation of Marine Fuels," DNV GL presents a methodology for evaluating alternative fuels, saying their merits will be determined by three factors: affordability, sustainability, and safety.

"These three factors will govern the importance of any energy source chosen to meet regulatory requirements for CO2, SOx and NOx - requirements that are already pushing the limits of what can be achieved with conventional fuels and exhaust gas cleaning technology," says DNV GL.

Christos Chryssakis, Senior Researcher at DNV GL, said: "In all cases, the cost associated with machinery, as well as the expected fuel price, will play a dominant role for shipowners as they make changes to their fleet."

"However, safety and sustainability have an impact on affordability.

"Sustainability, assessed from a lifecycle perspective, will determine the availability of various fuels in the future, and could constrain the energy mix locally or globally.

"Novel design solutions may introduce a level of complexity that affects newbuilding costs and operational reliability," added Chryssakis.

DNV GL argues that regulators and the general public can be quickly turned against a seemly viable fuel option if a major accident involving that energy source occurs.

"Even well-known solutions such as LNG involve considerable ship design and equipment changes to ensure safe operation,"  said Chryssakis

"DNV GL advocates that the risks are manageable. One of the premises is that safety should head the agenda from the very beginning of a ship design project."

The paper examines the benefits and challenges of the use of a number of alternative fuel options, such as LNG, shore-based electricity, hydrogen, and biofuels, including pyrolysis oil and biomethanol.

Last week, Tor E. Svensen, CEO at DNV GL - Maritime, said hybrid propulsion systems and connected ship solutions are emerging technologies that are "gaining ground faster than expected".