Sweden-based marine engineering specialist Alfa Laval is developing a range of solutions for a methanol-fuelled shipping industry. The marine industry has ambitious decarbonization goals, but the fuel shift required to reach them will not occur overnight. The next step in the transition will likely be methanol, which – if produced from renewable green sources – will bring the industry to a level of carbon neutrality. At Alfa Laval, the technologies to enable that step are in rapid development.

As a low-flashpoint fuel, methanol poses significant challenges that require a new approach to fuel supply. Having led the way in fuel line solutions for traditional fuels, Alfa Laval has also been at the forefront with methanol, partnering with MAN Energy Solutions to develop a low-flashpoint supply system (LFSS) for ME-LGIM two-stroke engines. The Alfa Laval FCM Methanol has now reached more than 100,000 hours of operation, and the solution has been further developed to meet the additional requirements of methanol-fuelled four-stroke engines and Alfa Laval Aalborg boilers.

“Shipowners will save space and energy by using the same LFSS for the main engine, auxiliary engines and boilers fired with methanol,” said Roberto Comelli, Business Manager Fuel Conditioning Systems. “We can engineer one FCM Methanol system to handle the process parameters of multiple methane consumers, with automation that meets all their different needs.”

“When it comes to Aalborg boilers, which are prepared to work with methanol through our MultiFlame burner concept, the FCM Methanol ensures the correct fuel parameters,” said Lars Skytte Jørgensen, Head of Technology Development, Energy Solutions. “What remains is to fine-tune methanol combustion for maximum boiler efficiency, which is work that’s already in progress in full-scale testing at the Alfa Laval Test & Training Centre.”

Handling and combusting methanol, however, will be only one side of the methanol equation. Because methanol contains less energy than traditional fuels, it will also be necessary to rethink energy use on methanol-fuelled vessels. Alfa Laval and partners are developing high-temperature proton exchange membrane (HTPEM) full cells to supplement energy production, but a new approach to existing energy sources will also be needed.

“Waste heat recovery, which is usually overlooked on today’s vessels, will be a key component of tomorrow’s methanol operations,” said Jørgensen. “There will be less demand for steam on board, but the heat energy will need to be applied in other ways. Due to methanol’s lower energy content and higher price, shipowners will want to turn every bit of the energy released into either mechanical or electrical power.”

Alfa Laval is addressing this wider energy picture with both existing and new solutions. The Alfa Laval Aalborg Micro, for example, is already a well-established exhaust gas boiler. Connected to a fired boiler, it will add steam to a shared steam drum, thereby reducing methanol consumption by the burner. But it will also be possible to combine with a plate heat exchanger and the Alfa Laval E-PowerPack, a new solution based on the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC).

“ORC technology can generate electricity from any heat source on board, however small,” explained Jørgensen. “By using the Aalborg Micro to produce hot water, rather than steam, shipowners will have a medium that’s easily converted into additional power. Along with the fuel cells in development, ORC technology will help vessels maintain their energy balance after switching to methanol.”

Alfa Laval’s methanol solutions continue to develop, but they are already having an impact in practice. The FCM Methanol, the Aalborg Micro and a wide range of heat exchangers for methanol have long been proven at sea. Moreover, Alfa Laval is assisting leading shipowners in the design of methanol-fuelled vessels. “Many shipowners are actively exploring the implementation of methanol, and Alfa Laval can be a strong sparring partner in that process,” said Jørgensen. “In addition to our technologies themselves, we have a wealth of knowledge about methanol’s behaviour, acquired through our extensive testing. We welcome collaboration with customers, research partners and other technology suppliers, because the transition to methanol is a journey the industry must make together.”

Today sees the launch of DNV’s latest Maritime Forecast to 2050, part of the Energy Transition Outlook (ETO) suite of reports. Conceived to help shipowners navigate the technologies and fuels needed to meet global greenhouse gas (GHG) targets, the report features an updated carbon risk management framework, including a new ‘decarbonisation stairway’ model to help owners map a path to sustainability.

The 80-page report aims to assist an industry facing the dual challenge of increasingly stringent climate change targets and regulations coupled with uncertainty over future fuel choices, technology, and supply. It is, according to DNV Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, “the grand challenge of our time.”

“Choosing the right fuel today for operations tomorrow is a daunting task that all owners must face up to,” said Ørbeck-Nilssen. “The business environment is changing in line with the natural one, leading not just to increased regulatory requirements, but also to new cargo-owner and consumer expectations and more rigorous demands from capital investors and institutions. A misstep today in newbuild fuel strategies can have damaging consequences for businesses and assets in the future. So, owners need practical, expert advice and smart solutions to ensure vessels stay competitive, compliant and commercially attractive over their lifetimes. This is where the Maritime Forecast to 2050 can help turn strategic uncertainty into confident decision-making.”

The report maps the shifting regulatory landscape, provides a status update on technology and alternative fuels, and views the energy transition from a wider perspective – investigating the financing of green onboard investments, as well as the need for rapid development of supply-side capacity for new fuels.

To support shipowners, DNV provides an updated framework for managing carbon risk in newbuilding designs, a techno-economic evaluation of fuel strategies, and the vessel design implications of those chosen approaches. The ‘decarbonization stairway’ is introduced to show how individual owners can adapt to stay below the required GHG emission trajectories.

Linda Sigrid Hammer, DNV Maritime Principal Consultant and Maritime Forecast to 2050 report lead author, said, “With between 1,000 and 2,000 ships expected to be ordered annually through 2030, there’s a real need for informed decisions that consider a diverse array of factors; from cost, to fuel storage and propulsion, through to flexibility in design, strategic approach, and fuel ready solutions. And of course, all of this is underpinned by the need for safety. Our revised framework allows for detailed assessments, providing support and expertise to mitigate the risks and uncertainties facing owners. The carbon neutral destination for the industry is clear, but the pathway is not. This report will help owners chart their way forwards.”

The new Maritime Forecast to 2050 – the fifth edition of its kind – features detailed case studies to help evaluate fuel and technology scenarios and compare competing solutions. The report finds that the maritime energy transition is already gaining momentum, with around 12% of newbuilds currently ordered with alternative fuel systems. This is double the 6% revealed by DNV’s 2019 Maritime Forecast report. However, less than 1% of ships currently in operation use alternative fuels, with the huge majority plying short-sea routes.

DNV forecasts that total CAPEX for onboard technology investments required to satisfy IMO decarbonisation ambitions will range from $250-800 billion (dependent on fleet size) between 2020 and 2050.

Finnlines’ Newbuilding Programme is on schedule following a double event this week. The second hybrid ro-ro vessel was launched on 30 August 2021 and the keel laying ceremony for the third vessel took place on 31 August. The series of three ro-ro vessels are being built at the Chinese Jinling shipyard located in Nanjing.

The first hybrid ro-ro, Finneco I, is scheduled to sail for sea trials in September to test the speed, manoeuvring, machinery, electrical installations and other critical equipment. Finneco I will start to operate in Finnlines’ service at the end of 2021 followed by the two sister vessels in 2022. All three vessels will sail under the Finnish flag.

Finnlines will upgrade its onboard services on the new cargo vessels where lorry drivers are frequent customers. There will be a gym and sauna area, a dining and recreation room and a laundry for drivers to use. To add comfort on board, drivers will be allocated single cabins.

Compared with the largest vessels in today’s fleet, the cargo carrying capacity of the hybrid newbuilds will increase by nearly 40%. Cargo operations will run smoothly as loading and unloading will be handled through three ramps.

Finnlines’ Newbuilding Programme, an investment which totals €500 million, includes three ro-ro vessels and two ro-pax vessels. Both vessel types will be larger and more eco-friendly than any vessel in the present Finnlines fleet and almost any ro-ro/ro-pax in the Baltic and in the world. To enhance energy saving and to reduce emissions and the overall environmental impact, the vessels will be fitted with state-of-the-art engines with emission abatement technology, an air lubrication system, lithium-ion batteries and solar panels. The ro-pax vessels, which will be delivered during 2023, will also have a shore-side electricity connection to attain zero emissions while in port.

“We are proud that these advanced hybrid ro-ro vessels will join our fleet. They will improve our energy efficiency significantly and enable us to provide more sustainable services than ever before. Shipowners around the world have undertaken to reduce ships’ CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050. We have made major investments in renewing and developing our fleet, using the latest technologies and green innovations available. Our new ships will help us to reach the ambitious reduction goal well in advance,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines.

Japanese shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries has concluded the first shipbuilding contract with Kawasaki Kisen Kaisya (K-line) for a new 86,700m3 liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquefied ammonia gas (LAG) carrier powered by LPG fuel.

The vessel is equipped with separate cargo tanks designed to carry LPG and LAG at the same time. This contract represents the 71st LPG carrier to be constructed by Kawasaki, and their eighth LPG-fuelled LPG carrier. Kawasaki plans to complete the construction of the vessel at its Sakaide Works in 2023.

The advantage of this dual-purpose vessel is its capability to simultaneously carry LPG, which is already used as a low-carbon energy source, and LAG, a new fuel contributing to the establishment of a decarbonised society. Another feature is the greater capacity of the cargo tanks as compared to conventional carriers, which was achieved without significantly changing the vessel’s length, breadth, or other main specifications.

Fuelled by low-sulphur fuel oil and LPG, the vessel meets SOx emission standards set by the IMO as well as the IMO’s EEDI Phase 3 regulations, which are scheduled to adopt stricter CO2 emission standards in 2022.

To meet environmental standards being tightened globally, and to implement action plans set forth in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations and other initiatives, Kawasaki plans to develop and build more LPG-fuelled LPG carriers and other commercial vessels that meet environmental standards, as well as to develop other eco-friendly marine technologies, to contribute to the establishment of a low-carbon/decarbonised society. These products include vessels for transporting liquefied hydrogen, considered to be the next-generation energy source.