Testing is getting underway to explore the use of biofuels
and methanol on the currently available marine propulsion technologies. Alfa
Laval, a manufacturer of pumps, filters, oil separators, and other equipment
used in ship’s engine rooms, is looking to facilitate the transition towards
sustainable shipping through the use of the fuels and systems available today.
“A number of fuel pathways are on the table in the
transition towards zero-carbon shipping but the knowledge about their impact on
marine equipment solutions is limited. We want to extend that knowledge through
testing,” says Sameer Kalra, President of the Marine Division. “It is our
ambition to develop viable technology solutions in cooperation with other
marine players so that our customers can achieve their climate goals
irrespective of the selected fuel pathway.”
To achieve the long-term target of decarbonization, the
industry must shift to new fuel types and technologies the company notes. With
ships having a lifetime of 20 years or more, the vessels being built in the
next decade will influence the ability of the industry to meet the 2050 goals
calling for reductions in emissions.
Eastern Pacific Shipping in its announcement last week that
it was beginning the process to use methanol for its existing ships also sounded
the note of urgency. They say that the industry needed to move forward with the
available technologies and systems while also preparing for other solutions
such as ammonia to emerge in the mid-term.
Alfa Laval notes that the pace of development of the new
fuels is accelerating, with the first carbon-neutral liner predicted to launch
in 2023 and methanol-fueled vessel will be ready for delivery in two years’
time. They note that while methanol enables the lowest greenhouse impact of any
available liquid fuel, biofuel is more of a challenge as it is produced from
many different sources and therefore needs thorough testing to secure safe
operation. Currently, the ships testing biofuels have had to make adaptions to
their systems while the systems under development for methanol currently
require the use of pilot fuels.
The Alfa Laval Test & Training Centre in Aalborg,
Denmark is taking a key role in testing new types of fuels to adapt and develop
equipment for the vessels’ engine rooms. The 2800 m2 testing space – already
equipped for today’s oil and gas fuels – has been readied for testing biofuels
and methanol. The tests will begin during the spring.