Interferry Conference Examines Challenges and Opportunities of Alternative Fuels

Interferry held its 42nd annual conference last week. File Image / Pixabay

Interferry says the challenges and opportunities posed by alternative fuels were among the main topics covered at the trade association's 42nd annual conference in Split, Croatia last week, which was attended by representatives from 210 ferry operators and suppliers from 27 countries.

At the event, Mediterranean ferry operators voiced their concerns around meeting the global 0.50 percent sulfur cap on marine fuel set for 2020.

Minoan Lines' Managing Director Antonios Maniadakis suggested that the use of low sulfur fuel would increase costs by €2 million ($2.35 million) per year, while Alan Klanac, Interferry president, argued that liquefied natural gas (LNG) coolant technology was more suited to cold sea temperatures of 7-10 degrees, advocating clean diesel instead.

"Here in Croatia we face 27 degrees in summer and that's a major issue," said Klanac. 

In order to address the region's lack of LNG bunkering infrastructure, Attica Group's CEO Spiros Paschalis said the company has been working on a dual-fuel ferry project, as well as with a Greek distributor on the potential for more refuelling infrastructure.

Also at the event, Jan Helge Pile, managing director of Color Line AS' (Color Line's) Marine and Technical Division, suggested that competition for the best time slots on the single ferry berth at Sandefjord would favour the vessel with least emissions. 

As Ship & Bunker has reported, Ulstein Group ASA (Ulstein) signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) in January with Color Line for the construction of what it says will be the world's largest hybrid vessel.

"The vessel can operate for 60 minutes on batteries, meaning we will have unbeatable zero emissions in the agreed zone off the port," explained Pile at the conference. 

"In any case, two years ago it was all about LNG yet now we are already hearing more talk about hydrogen."