Joint Industry Project Launches to Study Zero-Carbon Retrofits

The project will examine the possibility of retrofits across the shipping segments from conventional fuels to alternative fuels and technologies.

A group of shipping companies and organisations has joined forces to study the possibility of converting the existing fleet to run on zero-carbon fuels.

ABS, AP Moller-Maersk, MAN Energy Solutions, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, NYK Line, Seaspan Corporation, Total and the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping have launched the project together, the organisations said on Wednesday.

"The main purpose of the project is to assess conversion options and de-risk asset investments by analysing the emission reduction potential as well as techno-economic opportunity of converting vessels currently fuelled by fossil-based fuels to zero or neutral carbon fuel solutions," the organisations said.

"In addition, the project will identify a number of technical modifications of relevance for today's new buildings to reduce the cost of future conversions, thus minimizing the associated financial risk for ship owners."

The project will examine the possibility of retrofits across the shipping segments from conventional fuels to alternative fuels and technologies including LNG, LPG, ammonia, methanol and carbon capture.

"For each pathway, the related safety aspects will be reviewed, and the financial assessment will cover items such as conversion-, technology- and fuel costs as well as associated operating costs, whereas the environment assessment will, among other things, cover the greenhouse gas reduction potential over the lifetime of a vessel," the organisations said.