Today, one of the most pressing issues worldwide is environmental sustainability. Associations and organizations across the globe are increasingly aware of the urgent need to cut CO2 emissions and minimize any harmful impact on the planet. According to Transport & Environment, greenhouse gas emissions from shipping have risen by 70% since 1990 and are expected to grow by another 250% by 2050. Currently, the shipping industry accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions.
To comply with IMO regulations and protect the environment, the maritime sector is now searching for alternative fuel sources. One of the promising directions is the exploration and development of new-generation fuels.
A.P. Moller – Maersk and Wallenius Wilhelmsen, together with the University of Copenhagen, BMW Group, H&M Group, Levi Strauss & Co., and Marks & Spencer, have formed the LEO Coalition to study the environmental and commercial potential of LEO fuel for the maritime sector. According to a Maersk press release, LEO is a blend of ethanol and lignin. Lignin is a structural biopolymer that provides rigidity to plants and is produced in large quantities as a byproduct of lignocellulosic ethanol and pulp-and-paper production. Today, it is often burned to generate steam and electricity.
“Shipping needs tailored low-carbon solutions that can move from lab scale to a global fleet. Initiatives like the LEO Coalition are a vital catalyst for this process,” said Søren Toft, Chief Operating Officer of Maersk.
Maritime Telegraph reached out to Roger Strevens, Vice President of Global Sustainability at Wallenius Wilhelmsen, to share his thoughts on alternative fuels and their possible role in shipping. His work focuses on environmental regulation and collaboration with innovators and partners in the logistics sector. Strevens also chairs the Trident Alliance, which advocates for fair enforcement of the Sulphur Cap to protect health, the environment, and fair competition. In addition, he serves on the boards of Ocean Exchange and the Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative.
“It’s very likely that a range of new energy sources will emerge – some suitable for retrofitting and others only viable for newbuilds,” he said. “For several vessel types, including deep-sea RoRos, the retrofit potential is poor for fuels whose storage characteristics differ significantly from today’s fuel. The fuel tanks currently used are not compatible with fuels that require low-temperature or high-pressure storage, and they cannot be modified. It’s also not simply a matter of giving up cargo space for new tanks, as that would affect a vessel’s profitability and potentially make it commercially unviable. In practical terms, many existing ships are limited to ‘drop-in’ fuels – those compatible with current tanks and combustion systems.”
Strevens noted that biofuel, in theory, is a strong candidate to address this challenge. However, the issue is not purely technical. For any fuel to be viable, it must also be available in sufficient quantities, at competitive prices, and in accessible locations. The ethanol-lignin blend known as LEO could become a potential alternative fuel. Its main goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, primarily CO2.
“There is no point in pursuing biofuels that do not come from sustainable feedstocks,” Strevens explained. “Second-generation biofuels like LEO do not require land that would otherwise be used for food production. Nor do they depend on raw materials from threatened ecosystems, such as tropical forests.”
He added that LEO would be produced from a) a byproduct of paper manufacturing (lignin) and b) bioethanol, which is already produced at scale. As a result, LEO would not harm marine plants. The trees used in the paper industry are suitable for LEO fuel production. It is still too early to report any results, so for now, we can only speculate whether LEO might become the fuel of the future.
According to Maersk’s press release, the University of Copenhagen is currently developing LEO on a laboratory scale. The project was expected to move to Phase II (testing the fuel in marine engines) in the second quarter of 2020. If successful, Phase III would begin, scaling up production if the fuel proves economically viable.
The IMO has launched a long-term program to help the shipping industry adapt to gradual change. It is difficult to predict what the industry will look like in 30 years, and no one can say for certain which fuels or energy sources will power the global fleet by then.
“Given the minimum requirements set by the IMO, it seems unlikely that fossil fuels will power a significant portion of fast-turnaround engines by that time,” Strevens added. “Whether this becomes a revolution in shipbuilding remains to be seen. The engines and fuel systems used today are quite diverse. Technically, they may be able to operate on carbon-neutral fuels with minimal or no modifications. However, the shift to zero emissions will likely bring more dramatic changes.”
According to AirClim, global demand for maritime transport is expected to rise in the coming decades, which could increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 50–250% under a “business-as-usual” scenario. Transport & Environment adds that shipping could account for 17% of global CO2 emissions by 2050 if no action is taken. Alternative fuels may well be the light at the end of the tunnel for those seeking a way out of today’s global environmental crisis.
