Increasing collaboration key for alternative shipping fuels
In Holland, a diverse group of stakeholders discussed the storage and transfer of future shipping fuels in the Port of Rotterdam.
At this year's IMarEST Benelux branch mini-symposium, the focus was on future-facing alternative shipping fuels, specifically in the Netherlands.
“The objective of the symposium is to bring together people interested in how the Port of Rotterdam and organisations active in the Port of Rotterdam are planning to deal with future marine fuels,” says Professor Peter de Vos, Chair, IMarEST BeNeLux.
The forty attendants heard from the Port of Rotterdam Authority, logistics solutions company Samskip, gas shipping business Anthony Veder, and the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) about the challenges and opportunities alternative shipping fuels bring.
From ports to ships
Located in the Netherlands, the Port of Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe and the tenth-largest container port in the world. “The presentation [by] the Port of Rotterdam made clear what enormous scale we’re talking about when moving to new fuels,” says de Vos. “For all ships that move in and out of the port on a yearly basis the move to alternative fuels is a challenge that cannot be fully fathomed.”
Samskip and Anthony Veder shared their perspectives from a ship-level perspective. “The efforts of Samskip to make hydrogen-fuelled vessels a reality is very impressive. The same is true for the efforts that Anthony Veder is undertaking to ‘greening’ their fleet, including [the] carbon capture of liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fuelled vessels and studies on green ammonia as a fuel,” states de Vos.
Finally, TU Delft gave an overview of the alternative fuel research they’ve been involved in over the years. This included: “The usual suspects hydrogen, methanol and ammonia as well as less obvious solutions such as solid hydrogen carriers in the form of, for example, sodium borohydrides.
“The potential energy density of this solution was made clear by a small bottle that went around the room containing white crystals and a clear presentation on how much hydrogen was contained in the bottle and how it could be released,” says de Vos.
Uncertainty and hurdles
Few people, if anyone, would claim that the path to alternative fuels is straightforward. Indeed, there are still many uncertainties. “It is yet to be determined which specific fuel or combination of fuels will emerge,” says de Vos. “The utilisation, handling, and storage of these fuels will deviate from current industry practices, giving rise to an uncontrollable level of uncertainty and a variety of perspectives among involved parties.”
Given this variability about which fuels will be used for what application, de Vos says aiming for “flexible modular systems that can adapt to a wide range of future fuels” is essential. “At the same time that makes it difficult for port authorities and shipowners to prioritise which safety procedures for fuel storage and transfer to develop first.
“Obviously, more research and development is required to fill the knowledge gaps including the development of demonstrators as well as support for early adopters of alternative marine fuels and technology. But how to prioritise what needs to be done first and with how much commitment remains unknown,” de Vos explains.
Speaking from a shipping company angle, Samskip and Anthony Veder highlighted two hurdles to the rapid adoption of alternative fuels: lack of fuel and technology options and high costs.
Collaborating for success
A recurring theme throughout the symposium was the essential role of collaboration among fuel suppliers, operators, and shipowners. “Without it, many good initiatives will not take off or succeed,” says de Vos. “It is important to strengthen each other and share knowledge rather than compete in this field.”
“We are very happy that the mini-symposium turned out to be such a huge success,” stated Ms Sietske de Geus-Moussault, IMarEST BeNeLux branch committee member and primary organiser of the event.
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Image: Botlek area in the Port of Rotterdam, famous for housing chemical and petrochemical companies; credit: Shutterstock.
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