Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a Transitional Choice Replacing Marine Conventional Fuels (Heavy Fuel Oil/Marine Diesel Oil), towards the Era of Decarbonisation

Styliani Livaniou () and Georgios A. Papadopoulos
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Styliani Livaniou: Sector of Industrial Management and Operational Research, School of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
Georgios A. Papadopoulos: Sector of Industrial Management and Operational Research, School of Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 24, 1-14

Abstract: As environmental regulations on sulphur emissions become more severe, the maritime sector is looking for alternative solutions. This study evaluates greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction alternatives and their combined ability to decarbonise international transport. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is becoming widely used, reducing CO 2 emissions by 20–30 percent, while it has similar action in other emissions such as SO X . Although costs are attractive, methane slip, which depends on the engine type, reduces GHG gains. Replacing conventional fuels such as heavy fuel oil and marine diesel oil with alternative ones is an effective method to decrease SO x emissions. Liquefied natural gas is highly appreciated as an alternative fuel for maritime transportation. In this frame, the possibility of using alternative fuels, such as LNG, to reduce NO x , CO 2 and SO x emissions in Heraklion Port, including certain regionally defined waters, over the life of the vessel will also be explored. The study is conducted for ships calling at Heraklion Port and using alternative fuel such as LNG in different modes (cruising, hotelling, manoeuvring). A fuel-based emission reduction factor, rE if , is defined in relation to the comparison of two different fuels: conventional (heavy oil, marine diesel) and alternative fuels (LNG). The bottom-up method is used for this data analysis. This study, by defining the reduction of several emissions with the use of LNG, indicates that it is actually an efficient transitional fuel to lead international transport to decarbonisation.

Keywords: decarbonisation target; GHG emissions; HFO; MDO; LNG; transitional fuel; alternative fuels (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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