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Alternative Fuel for Ship Propulsion

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Ocean Engineering

  • 329 Accesses

Synonyms

Fuel cell; Hydrogen; Liquefied natural gas (LNG); Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG); Methanol

Definition

Alternative fuels for ship propulsion mean fuels which serve, at least partly, as a substitute for conventional fossil oil sources, normally heavy fuel oil (HFO), in the energy supply to shipping and which have the potential to contribute to its decarbonization and enhance the environmental performance of the shipping sector.

Driving Force for Alternative Fuels

Ships are a relatively fuel-efficient means of moving cargoes: for equivalent weights and distances, carbon dioxide emissions from shipping are considerably lower than air freight and road transport. At its best, emissions from shipping also undercut rail transport. This can be used as a rough proxy for transport costs and helps to illustrate the crucial role of international shipping in supporting global commerce, carrying as it does an estimated 90% of world trade. However, at the same time, the huge shipping quantity...

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References

  • DNV GL (2019) Assessment of selected alternative fuels and technologies in shipping. Oslo, Norway

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  • EU (2014) Directive 2014/94/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure Text with EEA relevance, Official Journal of the European Union, 28.10.2014, pp 1–20

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  • IMO (2016) Study of the use of methanol as marine fuel – environmental benefits, technology readiness and economic feasibility, MEPC 69/INF.10

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  • Kolwzan K, Narewski M (2012) Alternative fuels for marine applications. Latv J Chem 4:398–406

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  • McGill R, Remley WB, Winther K (2013) A report from the IEA advanced motor fuels implementing agreement, alternative fuels for marine applications. https://www.iea-amf.org/app/webroot/files/file/Annex%20Reports/AMF_Annex_41.pdf

  • SSPA (2015) Study on the use of ethyl and methyl alcohol as alternative fuels in shipping, Final Report Version 20151204.5, Report prepared for the European Maritime Safety Agency

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. China Classification Society Overseas Technology Centre, Singapore, Singapore

    Shaowei Gan

Authors
  1. Shaowei Gan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shaowei Gan .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hadal Science and Technology Research Center, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China

    Weicheng Cui

  2. School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

    Shixiao Fu

  3. School of Marine Science and Technology, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK

    Zhiqiang Hu

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Wengang Mao

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Gan, S. (2020). Alternative Fuel for Ship Propulsion. In: Cui, W., Fu, S., Hu, Z. (eds) Encyclopedia of Ocean Engineering. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6963-5_249-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6963-5_249-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-10-6963-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-6963-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference EngineeringReference Module Computer Science and Engineering

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