Ferry Operator Sees GHG Reduction Role for Alternative Fuels

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday July 8, 2020

Finnish ferry operator Tallink's new liquified natural gas (LNG)-powered ship will be ready by the end of next year, a company executive has said.

Writing in Cruise and Ferry, head of ship management Carlos Tuulik said that the new ship, Mystar, which will run on LNG and diesel-electric power, has a key role to play in the company's decarbonisation strategy.

"We view this as the most future-proof solution at present," Tuulik said.

"We are already seeing new fuels emerging into the market, such as hydrotreated vegetable oil or gas-to-liquids fuels."

Such fuels should be seen as "transitionary solutions" that will help ferry operators meet global greenhouse gas reduction targets.

But looking ahead, Tuulik said that "other, revolutionary developments" underway.  These will hopefully "enable the full decarbonisation of the shipping industry in the future", he said.

Oil major Shell has called for greater co-operation on research into producing viable, low-emission fuels for shipping.