Case studies
Illustrative examples on decarbonization measures, costs and regulations
- Alfa Laval
- Alternative Fuels
- Amsterdam
- Arctic
- Arenared
- Asia
- Australia
- Autonomous
- Ballard
- BAM
- Barge
- Batteries
- Battery Hybrid
- Biodiversity
- Biofuels
- Blog
- Bluewater
- BP
- Bulk Carrier
- Carbon Capture
- Case Study
- Cavotec
- CCS
- China
- Clean Shipping Act
- Climeon
- CMA CGM
- Cobalt
- Combination Carrier
- Container Ship
- Corvus
- COSCO
- Cruise passenger
- Damen
- Decarbonizer
- Decarbonizer case study
- Digitalization
- Dredging
- Econowind
- Ecospeed
- Electrification
- Energy Major
- Engine
- ENI
- EOPSA
- Equinor
- EU
- Exhaust gas
- FAME
- Feeder
- Fishing
- Flind
- Floating Solar
- Fossil Fuels
- FuelEU
- Full Electric
- Gas Carrier
- GE
- General Cargo
- GoodFuels
- Green Hydrogen
- Hapag-Lloyd
- Harbor Tug
- HBE
- Heerema
- Hull Coating
- Hullvane
- HVO
- Hybrid
- Hydrogen
- IMO
- Industry
- Inland Waterways
- Inland Waterways General Cargo
- Inland Waterways Tanker
- InnovationQuarter
- Japan
- Knutsen
- Kongsberg
- KVNR
- Liquefied Gas Carrier
- LNG Carrier
- LPG Tanker
- Maersk
- Maritime Battery Forum
- Metasorbex
- Methanol
- Microgrids
- Miscellaneous
- Mobilyze
- Movie
- MSC
- Neste
- Netherlands
- North Star
- NorthVolt
- Norway
- NOx
- Ocean Sun
- Offshore
- Offshore Charging
- Offshore Construction Vessel
- Offshore Support Vessel
- Ore Carrier
- Ørsted
- Passenger Ship
- Plastic
- Port / Tugs
- Port of Auckland
- Port of Rotterdam
- Ports
- Project BOEI
- Provincie Zuid-Holland
- Pusher Tug
- Q&A
- QuantumScape
- Recycling
- Rijkswaterstaat
- Ro-Ro Ships
- Rotterdam
- Rules and Regulations
- Semi-Submersible
- SFC
- Shell
- Shipping Company
- Shore Battery
- Shore Power
- Shorelink
- Singapore
- Skoon
- Smart Vessel Optimizer
- Sockets Plugs
- Solar PV
- Solid-State Lithium
- Sparky
- Steel
- Stillstrom
- Subsea Industries
- Synthetic Fuel
- Talk with an Expert
- Tanker
- Tanker/Bulk Carrier
- Techbinder
- Techno-Economic Guide for Ship-Based Carbon Capture
- TotalEnergies
- Trailing Hopper Suction Dredger
- Trawler
- US
- Van Oord
- Wärtsilä
- Waste heat recovery
- Wattlab
- Wind
- Wind Power
- Yara
- Zero-Emission Vessel
Overview of Shore Power Sockets and Plugs - IEC/IEEE 80005
IEC/IEEE 80005 is the main standard for shore power. This standard categorically divides shore power plugs and sockets into low voltage shore connection systems (LVSC < 1 MVA) and high voltage shore connection systems (HVSC > 1 MVA). LVSC systems are governed by IEC/IEEE 80005-3 for operability and IEC 60309-5 for dimensions. HVSC systems are governed by IEC/IEEE 80005-1 for operability and IEC 62613-2 for dimensions.
Project BOEI - Lunch and Learn
On behalf of the Province of South-Holland, Sustainable Ships has been project leader of 'Project BOEI’, a techno-economic feasibility study on the electrification of tankers off the coast of Scheveningen, Netherlands. The study was performed with consortium members InnovationQuarter, Bluewater, Knutsen, EOPSA, Rijkswaterstaat, Campus@Sea, Port of Rotterdam, KVNR and Cavotec. This lunch and learn is the recording of the close-out session in which main findings were presented.
Project BOEI
Project BOEI is a techno-economic feasibility study on behalf of the Province of South-Holland on the electrification of tankers at the Scheveningen anchorage. The goal is to identify the most feasible technical solutions and risks, in addition to cost and emissions reduction estimation. Primary drivers are reduction of NOx and CO2 emissions. Total costs for all scopes combined is €14M (~€12M for infra and ~€2M for ship). E-anchor and subsea cabling are approximately 50% of all cost. Break-even price parity for shipowner and provider of power is at around €0.20-€0.25 per kWh.
MoU for North Star Support Vessels on Offshore Wind
Maersk’s Stillstrom and North Star have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the adoption of offshore charging and vessel electrification technologies for Offshore Support Vessels (OSVs) in the offshore wind sector. Offshore charging hubs will enable the vessels to recharge their battery systems using wind energy while in the field.
How to decarbonize your ship - Hopper Dredger + Methanol
This is a case study of a trailing hopper suction dredger with 14MW installed power - the ‘Happy Hopper’ - which is converted to methanol combustion. This case study is inspired by the amazing work done by Van Oord. With the given assumptions on emission factors for methanol, 93% CO2 reduction is achieved. CAPEX for a methanol refit of this size is approximately €6M+, of which roughly €5M is intended for engine refit only. OPEX will be greatly increased unless methanol price is below €500 per mT.
Damen’s Sparky - their first full electric tug
Damen’s first all-electric harbour tug, the RSD-E Tug 2513, is a high-powered tug with 70-tonnes bollard pull, capable of manoeuvring even the largest vessels. It can undertake two or more assignments before being recharged, which takes just two hours. The battery pack size is 2,800 kWh, resulting an approximately 1,400 kW of charging power required. The battery pack is design for the vessel’s 30 year lifetime.
The State of Methanol as Marine Fuel 2023
This blog is a state of the use of methanol as marine fuel as “quick” reference for shipowners. Key points include costs for retrofitting the ship and engine, range between € 250-€650 per kW, elaboration on IGF code for low flashpoint fuels and technical considerations for conversion and working with methanol. Availability for methanol is good, but bunkering for large vessels mostly non-existent. Methanol price per kilogram is historically lower than regular MGO.
Marine Exhaust Gas Heat Recovery Systems
Marine exhaust gas heat recovery systems can be a useful measure to reduce fuel consumption by 5% for typical cases, with up to 15% for favourable engine and ship characteristics. As a rule of thumb, heat exchangers become more efficient and cost-effective the larger your engine becomes. Conversion of heat to electricity is recommended for diesel-electric vessels, as well as the use of engine cooling water instead of exhaust gas heat.
Overview of Ports’ Sustainable & Shore Power Ambitions
Most ports have the ambition to become carbon neutral by 2050. This typically excludes vessel emissions and focusses on Scope 1/2 port operations only. A significant portion of ports around the world have signed shore power declarations to ‘deploy shore-side electricity by 2028 where possible’, including all large North Sea ports, Los Angeles, Montreal and all large Japanese ports. Cruise and container vessels are the primary target for most ports’ regulations and EU will start taxing vessels via EU ETS from next year onwards.
Overview of Shipping Companies’ Sustainable Ambitions
Four out of the five largest shipping companies have the ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050. Most shipping companies focus on alternative fuels for combustion. Preferred fuels that are currently considered are (bio)LNG and methanol.
Overview of Energy Majors’ Sustainable Ambitions
Virtually all energy majors have 2050 as target date for carbon neutrality. Most focus solely on Scope I and II emissions. Ørsted and Equinor have the highest ambitions and most stringent targets. Repsol, Eni, Shell, TotalEnergies and BP are following suit.
5 Most important EU Rules and Regulations for Maritime Industry
In the next four years, you will be faced with a carbon tax of €200 - €300 carbon tax per mT fuel, mandatory use of shore power and low carbon fuels due to a these five regulations: FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS, AFID, RED, ETD.
Overview of Shore Power Sockets and Plugs - 1
This blog provides an overview of (European/Dutch) shore power sockets and plugs. They are categorized into three groups, depending on a ship’s installed power: below 100 kW, below 2.000 kW and above 2.000 kW. Especially below 100 kW, there is great diversification of plugs which would merit the creation of a ‘universal adapter’ for ships. Share your experience to help other shipowners.
![Specific Fuel Consumption [g/kWh] for Marine Engines](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6155b5bdada6ea1708c2c74d/1648964928391-9V8YI4YWZV9U4JN69S8N/SFC.png)
Specific Fuel Consumption [g/kWh] for Marine Engines
Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) of marine engines ranges between 155 and 200 g/kWh on optimal load settings, mostly dependent on engine speed (low, medium, high). Specific fuel consumption increases dramatically for approach at low power (30% Pmax) and especially at idle (7% Pmax).
Overview of CO2 Rules and Regulations for Maritime Industry 2022
Almost all rules and regulations apply to large ships of 5.000 gross tonnage or more and will only start to significantly impact your operations and OPEX as per 2026. While some vessels remain exempt, it is to be expected all vessels will be subjected to severe carbon reduction requirements that will significantly impact operations and easily double operational costs of measures are not taken in time.
What is the carbon footprint of steel?
Weighted average carbon footprint of steel is 1.85* tons CO2 to 1 tonne steel produced according to Mckinsey and the World Steel Association.
Battery for inland vessels
In February 2022, Skoon placed a battery system on Noordereiland for the Port of Rotterdam to boost shore power for stationary inland vessels. Addressing power shortfalls, the battery supported shore power cabinets, successfully delivering up to 63A without tripping fuses, benefiting both vessels and residents. This solution also enabled supplying power to larger ships, aligning with sustainability goals and showcasing potential expansion across the city center.
US calls for shipping to have zero emissions by 2050
The US wants the global shipping industry to reduce its CO2 emissions to zero by 2050. That target is considerably more ambitious than that of the IMO, which is to reduce CO2 emissions by at least half by 2050.
Meet Flind
Flind is a dashboard that gives you insights on your vessel’s energy consumption and emissions. For free.
What is carbon insetting?
Reducing carbon emissions in the shipping sector can be hard and expensive. Carbon insetting is a way to compensate for emissions that you are unable to mitigate within your normal operations - or are too costly to mitigate - but can be mitigated at other places in your fleet or the sector. Carbon insetting is simple, scalable and perhaps most importantly: almost all vessels can do it without the need for retrofitting or upfront investment costs.
How to build a green hydrogen refinery for the maritime industry in Rotterdam
Over 20% of all Dutch emissions are coming from the Port of Rotterdam, of which the production of grey hydrogen from fossil feedstock is one of the main culprits. This article explores what is needed to build a green hydrogen refinery. It provides an overview of the existing fossil infrastructure and fuel consumption, which technologies are required to transform, how much it would cost and who are actually working on it.
Which will be the First Hydrogen-Powered Inland Vessel in Rotterdam?
A curious coincidence In Rotterdam. Two vessels - the ‘MS Antonie’ and ‘the Maas’ claim to become ‘the first hydrogen inland vessel’ in Rotterdam. We have translated their claims from two Dutch news outlets and made a comparison which might help you on your hydrogen journey. The race is on for the first hydrogen-powered inland vessel in Rotterdam!
Methanol Hybrid Offshore Working Vessels
This thesis by J.M. Rozendaal at van Oord focuses on the technical, environmental and economic impact of a methanol hybrid power plant design for new-build offshore working vessels. Its conclusion is that a methanol solution has a CO2 reduction potential up to 99% and a CO2 price of 78 euro per ton CO2 reduction.
Battery Recycling, made by Northvolt
Northvolt has partnered with Hydro to establish a first-of-its-kind battery recycling facility. The recycling plant will come online in 2021 in Fredrikstad, outside of Oslo. At commissioning, the Hydro Volt plant will have initial capacity to process more than 8,000 tonnes of batteries per year – roughly the equivalent of 23,000 moderately sized EV batteries. Northvolt is aiming for 50% recycled material in new cells by 2030.
EV Battery Prices Plunge 89% in Ten Years
The price of a lithium-ion battery pack used to power an electric vehicle has plunged 89% in the last decade, from $1,100 per kWh to $137 per kWh. Marine batteries still cost significantly more, ranging between $800-$1,000 per kWh for retrofits to $500 per kWh for newbuilds. DNV expects the cost of batteries to be reduced by 56% by 2025.
Equinor moves ahead with CCS
Following a historic vote in parliament on December 15th 2020, the Norwegian Government announced its funding decision for the ‘Northern Lights’ CO2 transport and storage project. The project aims to create a carbon capture and storage hub in Norway, open to third parties. It will be the first ever cross-border, open-source CO2 transport and storage infrastructure network and offers European industrial emitters the opportunity to store their CO2 safely and permanently underground.
Equinor Flirts with Floating Solar
Equinor will explore opportunities within the realm of floating solar power. Together with Moss Maritime the company wants to start testing near the island of Frøya in the late summer of 2021. The plant will measure 6400 m2 and rise 3 meters above sea level and appears to be made of interlinked rigid structures.
The Big Friendly Hybrid Giant
The North Sea Giant, a Norwegian offshore construction vessel, is the first DNV class-approved ‘hybrid’ DP3 vessel with three batteries on-board that have a total capacity of 2.034 kWh. The batteries have been installed in an upgrade and serve the purpose of spinning reserve, peak shaving and load leveling. Since then, fuel consumption is reduced in all operational modes with over 2 million liters of diesel per year, saving up to 30% fuel.
BP and Ørsted launch green hydrogen project at German oil refinery
BP and Ørsted have partnered to develop a zero-carbon hydrogen at BP’s Lingen Refinery in north-west Germany, BP's first full-scale project in a sector that is expected to grow rapidly. The 50 MW electrolyser project is expected to produce 1 ton of hydrogen per hour - almost 9,000 tonnes a year - starting in 2024. The project could be expanded to up to 500 MW at a later stage to replace all of Lingen’s fossil fuel-based hydrogen.
Shore Power by Heerema
This is a story about how the shore power connection for Heerema in the Port of Rotterdam was realized from idea to reality. It is told from the perspective of Heerema, but could not be realized without help from Eneco, Siemens, Port of Rotterdam, the City Council of Rotterdam and InnovationQuarter. This story portrays the power of open collaboration for a sustainable future, and shows what can be achieved when working together on a common cause.
Batteries that charge up to 80% in 15 Minutes
Volkswagen-backed QuantumScape is building a solid-state lithium metal battery for electric vehicles that it says should allow a car to charge to 80% of its full capacity in 15 minutes.
Hurtigruten’s New Hybrid Ships
Designed in 2017 and launched in 2018, Hurtigreten has launched two new hybrid cruise vessels, the MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridjof Nansen, that can sail fully electric for up to 30 minutes. Not only will it significantly reduce emissions, a hybrid system is also extremely quit. Arctic exploration has never been so much fun!
World’s first ‘carbon-capture at sea’ set for shipping trials
Japanese shipbuilding giant Mitsubishi announced that it will build and test a carbon-capture system for ships which promises to reduce ship emissions by 90%. Sea trials will be conducted by mid-2021 using an existing coal carrier operated by the Tohoku Electric Power Company.
Høglund and HB Hunte develop CO2 vessel concept to support CCS projects
Høglund Marine Solutions & HB Hunte Engineering have developed a new ‘bilobe’ tank concept for LPG and CO2 transportation. The solution is readily available for use in existing tanker designs. It more than doubles the transportation capacity of liquid CO2 over current vessel capacity without the size, weight and stability concerns that would have come from a higher capacity “monolobe” design.
Tesla’s Battery Day from a Maritime Perspective
Using Tesla’s announcements of Battery Day, DNV expects the cost of batteries to be reduced by 56% (measured in $/kWh) by 2025. Worldwide, DNV predicts that passenger electric vehicles are likely to start outselling their internal combustion engine counterparts from 2032 onwards. In North America, Europe and China this will take place well before 2030. Tesla’s success could spill over from land-based vehicles into adjacent transport sectors. On the assumption of success on all fronts, Tesla will achieve the critical battery density for short range electric airplanes – namely 400 Wh/kg with high cycle life.
A Front-Row Seat for the Arctic’s Final Summers With Ice
Freaked out scientists and gleeful captains of fossil-fuel tankers are now sailing through climate history in the melting polar region. Physicist Stefanie Arndt claims the Northern Sea Rout will become ice-free this decade or the next one.
Making the Impossible Possible
This blog sketches a vision on how to convert the largest crane vessel in the world - Sleipnir - owned by Heerema Marine Contractors, to a zero-emission vessel. Several promising carbon reduction measures are combined which are technically viable and based on matured technology including electrification and BES, solar panels, synthetic fuels, CCS and possibly hydrogen combustion.
Ørsted and Maersk to Test Offshore Vessel Charger
Maersk and Ørsted are building a ‘power-buoy’ that can act as both a mooring point and a charging station for vessels, enabling them to turn of their engines when laying idle.
World’s Largest Direct Air Capture Facility to Capture CO2 Under Development
The facility from 1PointFive and Carbon Engineering will capture CO2 directly from the air and store it safely, permanently and securely deep underground in geological formations.
One of World’s Biggest Inland Floating Solar Systems begins construction in Singapore
Solar PV is integrated with the local water treatment system on Tengeh Reservoir in Singapore, offsetting 6% of its annual energy needs for 25 years.
Scientists Find Microplastics Inside Human Organs
Bits of microplastics are showing up inside human tissues. We still don’t fully know the health impact of plastics inside our bodies.
IMO study finds maritime emissions could rise 50% by 2050
In IMO’s fourth greenhouse gas (GHG) study, a consortium headed by research establishment CE Delft has found that GHG emissions from global shipping are growing and are expected to continue to increase.