Overcoming Barriers to Low Carbon Fuel Adoption

The Global Center for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) works with industry partners to support the decarbonization of the maritime sector in line with IMO goals for 2030 and 2050. Established in August 2021 with funding from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, GCMD collaborates with stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies and sustainable fuels. By conducting supply chain trials with biofuels blended with conventional marine fuels and exploring the use of third-generation biofuels like crude algae oil, GCMD aims to develop an assurance framework for drop-in green fuels.

Singapore is positioning itself for bunkering sustainable fuels, with companies like Vitol taking delivery of vessels capable of handling B100 biofuel blends. LNG bunkering vessels are also in use, paving the way for bio-LNG in the future. While technical challenges and considerations like energy density and flammability exist, carbon capture and storage technologies onboard ships offer a potential solution to reduce emissions in the absence of zero-carbon marine fuels.

Bunkering volumes of biofuel blends have increased in major hubs like Singapore and Rotterdam, but biofuels still account for a small percentage of total bunkering sales. Leveraging insights from other sectors like road transport, the maritime industry can benefit from the experience with biofuels. With future vessels likely to continue using fossil fuels for a significant portion of their fuel mix, onboard carbon capture and storage systems could play a crucial role in achieving emission reduction targets.

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