ABS has published a detailed life-cycle, or value-chain, analysis of the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of the leading alternative marine fuels, according to ABS's release.
The first-of-its-kind analysis is the heart of the third edition of the ABS Low Carbon Shipping Outlook series, where ABS also updates on the marine sector’s progress on reducing emissions and showcases potential designs for future vessels, including their prospective technical and economic data.
In a pioneering piece of research, ABS collaborated with Herbert Engineering to explore the feasibility of transitioning from three conventional vessel designs to low carbon variants. The research identified differing degrees of difficulty, depending on a range of factors including maturity of technology and required degree investment.
Setting the Course to Low Carbon Shipping - View of the Value Chain is the third in a series of outlook documents published by ABS to showcase the latest decarbonization research and thinking. The first in the series, 2030 Outlook — 2050 Vision, examined the International Maritime Organization mandated emissions goals and the varying levels of carbon impact from available marine fuels and other energy sources as shipowners strive to meet those goals. The second in the series, Pathways to Sustainable Shipping, examined the current energy-commodity and consumer trends, and how they could influence the size of the global fleet, its trading patterns and, therefore, its emissions output.
While the industry focus has been on reducing shipping’s carbon footprint, pressure is growing for every link in maritime trade’s value chain to follow suit, including supporting land-side infrastructure. ABS worked with the Rocky Mountain Institute to ensure that View of the Value Chain looks at both. ABS and Herbert Engineering examined the potential technical requirements and operational trade-offs that may be necessary in future versions or conversions to low carbon operations of three existing ship types: a Chinamax Bulk Carrier, an Aframax Tanker and a Feeder Containership. The report also explores the innovative carbon-reduction practices presently being deployed at ports and other land-side value chain elements as the sector transitions towards a more sustainable business model.