WITH more shipowners opting to install marine exhaust gas cleaning systems to their fleets, together with a UMAS report putting paid to the notion that use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) will meet emissions rules, could high sulphur fuels remain the shipowners' fuel of choice for meeting emissions requirements?
Yes, says Germany's FuelSave CEO Marc Sima: 'High sulphur fuels will remain the industry's favoured fuel until methanol and hydrogen-based alternatives have attained commercial viability. Until then the pursuit of LNG is just throwing good money after bad,' he said.
Agreeing with the UMAS findings that there would be no significant reduction (if not a potential increase) in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through the wider take-up of LNG, he dismisses the suggestion that low sulphur fuels will become the industry's primary fuel source by 2020.
'I really can't see the global fleet switching across to low sulphur fuel in little under two years' time. Not only would shipowners have to make sure their engines are compatible with the fuel in time, but assuming they are, they would have to revise their supply chains, evaluate compatible lubricating oils and then sit back and watch their operating costs increase.
'It just won't happen. Low sulphur fuels may be today marginally more expensive than LNG but should the industry make the switch en masse, what are the refiners going to do, reduce the cost? I doubt it.'
To meet the 2020 global sulphur cap, Mr Sima advocates the continued use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) / marine diesel oil (MDO) / marine gas oil (MGO) with the appropriate emissions abatement technology - a scrubber - as the only cost-effective and proven solution for emissions reduction.
If a scrubber is used, Mr Sima said its economic and emissions-reducing efficiency can be further optimised by using FuelSave's patented FS Marine+ solution.
This is a fuel additive that can be used with the type of two- and four-stroke engine running on HFO, MGO or MDO. It uses an onboard hydrogen synthgas generator to inject a gas and liquid water / methanol solution into an engine's combustion chamber. In pilot tests aboard a heavy lift ship fuel consumption was reduced by 25 per cent equating to net savings of 15 per cent.
Yes, says Germany's FuelSave CEO Marc Sima: 'High sulphur fuels will remain the industry's favoured fuel until methanol and hydrogen-based alternatives have attained commercial viability. Until then the pursuit of LNG is just throwing good money after bad,' he said.
Agreeing with the UMAS findings that there would be no significant reduction (if not a potential increase) in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through the wider take-up of LNG, he dismisses the suggestion that low sulphur fuels will become the industry's primary fuel source by 2020.
'I really can't see the global fleet switching across to low sulphur fuel in little under two years' time. Not only would shipowners have to make sure their engines are compatible with the fuel in time, but assuming they are, they would have to revise their supply chains, evaluate compatible lubricating oils and then sit back and watch their operating costs increase.
'It just won't happen. Low sulphur fuels may be today marginally more expensive than LNG but should the industry make the switch en masse, what are the refiners going to do, reduce the cost? I doubt it.'
To meet the 2020 global sulphur cap, Mr Sima advocates the continued use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) / marine diesel oil (MDO) / marine gas oil (MGO) with the appropriate emissions abatement technology - a scrubber - as the only cost-effective and proven solution for emissions reduction.
If a scrubber is used, Mr Sima said its economic and emissions-reducing efficiency can be further optimised by using FuelSave's patented FS Marine+ solution.
This is a fuel additive that can be used with the type of two- and four-stroke engine running on HFO, MGO or MDO. It uses an onboard hydrogen synthgas generator to inject a gas and liquid water / methanol solution into an engine's combustion chamber. In pilot tests aboard a heavy lift ship fuel consumption was reduced by 25 per cent equating to net savings of 15 per cent.