There are many levers to be tightened in the environmentally sound transformation of the maritime industry. But where to start? We have asked classification societies. This is the reply from Rolf Stiefel, Regional Marine Chef Executive for Central Europe, Bureau Veritas.[ds_preview]
While the sustainable ships of the future will likely be propelled by ammonia, methanol or hydrogen, the innovation journey to develop and deploy these new fuels on global fleets will be powered by a much more intangible ingredient: trust.
If one needs confirmation that new fuels can be safely rolled out in commercial shipping, they should look no further than the emergence of LNG as a marine fuel in the past 20 years.
It wasn’t until the year 2000 that LNG started being used as a fuel on non-LNG carriers. At the time, industry collaboration and rigorous validation were instrumental in addressing safety and technology concerns, enabling LNG to rapidly gain traction in the industry. Today, the global fleet currently includes just over 700 LNG carriers and 300 LNG-fuelled vessels, and LNG-powered ships represent around 30 % of new orders. What was a technological leap forward just two decades ago is now a mainstream option.
In addition to benefits in terms of emissions reductions, shipping’s experience with LNG has also had a more profound impact: it provides a blueprint of how we can safely develop the engines, tanks and supply infrastructure for the low carbon fuels that are in contention to power the fleets of tomorrow, such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen.
Perhaps the most important lesson from our experience with LNG is that there can be no innovation without trust. While in recent years our industry has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to tackle its decarbonisation challenge, the reality for many shipowners is that the future fuel landscape remains fraught with uncertainty.
While the first engines capable of burning ammonia or hydrogen as a fuel are already under development, significant innovation is needed to overcome the technology and safety challenges related to the toxicity, flammability, and low energy density of these new potential fuels. Building the necessary global supply chain infrastructure will also take years. For shipowners, therefore, investing in these solutions can feel like a leap of faith. Given the level of investment at stake, owners need clarity and assurance that new engines and systems are safe and reliable. What they need, in essence, is trust.
This is where classification societies play a fundamental role. Working with shipowners, shipyards and technology providers from the early concept stages to delivery, we provide the expertise and neutral position needed to independently assess new technologies. By doing so, we help build trust between all stakeholders, thereby supporting safe innovation across the industry.
In practice, we help de-risk ambitious new projects through our Rules, Approvals in Principle (AiPs), Joint Development Projects (JDPs) and risk assessment processes. We validate compliance with existing rules and regulations, and where prescriptive rules are yet to be developed, we use our expertise and experience to help identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks, ensuring safety above all.
A key building block of trust is our classification rules, which provide a comprehensive framework on how to address the main risks related to specific fuels. For example, our Rule Note for ammonia provides specific requirements to manage toxicity, such as double-walled piping and detection mechanisms wherever there is a risk of leakage. This provides clarity to industry pioneers for a number of ambitious projects that we are supporting, including the development of the world’s largest ammonia-powered Very Large Ammonia Carrier (VLAC), standing at 93,000 m3, by Jiangnan Shipyard Group.
Developing the knowledge to safely handle future fuels will require partnerships both within and outside shipping. In tangible terms, this means collaborating with other industries and academia to constantly expand our knowledge.
For example, we recently carried out a study on ammonia as a marine fuel in collaboration with TotalEnergies. This project provided detailed insights on the efficiency of ventilation and vapour processing systems, the size of safety zones needed, and the health risks to people exposed to leaks. Studies like this are critical to help us refine our rules, protect crews and passengers, and help first-movers progress with confidence.
In the midst of this explosion of technological diversity and variety, shipping must not forget another essential and invested party: the seafarers who will operate these vessels. As an industry, we have a responsibility to deploy safeguards to protect crews and ensure they have the right training to handle technologically complex fuels and vessels. Shipping needs to listen to seafarers, fully involve them in the development and deployment of new technologies, and earn their trust, too. If innovation will be powered by trust, it all begins – and ends – with people, from technology forward thinkers to those who will manoeuvre the ships of the future on the world’s oceans.
