EMEA News
Ammonia Fuel Study Raises Environmental Questions
New research into the life-cycle of alternative marine fuels has found that the switch to greener fuels may not be a straightforward win-win for the environment.
The study, from Gothenberg-based Chalmers University, surveyed the fuels for "technical viability, environmental impacts, and economic feasibility". Four types of renewable energy carriers were considered for three different types of ships.
"The energy carriers examined included electricity via batteries, and three electrofuels: hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia," a university statement on the study said. "The energy carriers were in turn used in combination with both engines and fuel cells," it added.
Among its findings, the report pointed to a combustion risk from the use of ammonia.
"Although ammonia is carbon-free, its combustion in engines is not free from greenhouse gas emissions," co-author of the paper, Selma Brynolf, said.
Ammonia and methanol have the lowest cost of the alternatives studied, the research found.
However, the three green electrofuels have a higher environmental impact than traditional fuels in terms of human toxicity, use of resources such as minerals and metals, and water use.
The report's lead author, Fayas Kanchiralla, concluded that taken from a life cycle perspective "different kinds of ships" would require "different types of solutions for decarbonisation" and that "more research and more life cycle analyses need to be done".
