Carbon emission reduction targets are beneficial to shipbuilding. How do shipping companies respond?

"Today, the carbon emissions of the shipping industry account for about 2.3% of the global carbon emissions, and it is expected to account for 3.5% in 2050. From 2008 to 2050, the shipping industry is expected to reduce carbon emissions by only about 33%, which is still relatively small compared with other industries. An important reason is that electrification is difficult to apply to ocean transportation. "

At the 20021Global Shipping Science and Technology Conference hosted by Shipping Network and MarineX today, Li Ling, the pre-contract technical support manager of DNV China Technology Center, predicted the challenges faced by shipping companies under the background of peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality, and analyzed the impact on shipping companies and shipbuilding.

Shipping industry is an important part of transportation, and it is also an important entry point for transportation to realize green and low-carbon transformation. About 90% of the world's cargo transportation is completed by sea. Therefore, it is a long way to go to achieve the peak of carbon dioxide emission and carbon neutrality.

At the end of last year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a proposal on short-term emission reduction measures for ships, which put forward requirements for emission reduction of shipping enterprises from two aspects: technical energy efficiency index (EEXI) requirements and operating carbon intensity rating mechanism (CII rating mechanism). This initial strategy will be officially transformed into the final strategy in 2023, which means that the main challenge facing the shipping industry in the next few years is to find a way to decarbonize.

In Li Ling's view, in order to achieve IMO's emission reduction targets, shipping companies should first consider the possibility of commercial slowdown. "Decelerating navigation is the most direct and effective emission reduction measure, but it also means that more ships are needed to operate the same route freight demand."

This is good news for the shipbuilding industry. Li Ling believes that the requirements of carbon emission reduction laws and regulations will accelerate the upgrading of ships, and the requirements of carbon emission reduction will also catalyze the development of specific ship types, and the level of carbon emission reduction of ships will greatly affect the value of ship assets in the future. More energy-efficient ships and facilities will be favored by the market, and the level of drainage reduction and rating will also become an important reference standard for new shipbuilding and second-hand ship transactions in the future.

For shipping companies, another important measure to reduce emissions is to use more biofuels, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas. Li Ling predicts that in 2030, fossil fuels will still dominate, but there will be 20,600 ships, accounting for 46% of the fleet, and these ships will use biofuels to meet the requirements of carbon emission reduction.

In fact, many shipping companies have already started to act. In September 2020, the world's first LNG-powered 23000TEU super-large container ship "Jacques Sade" was officially put into operation, which was the beginning of CMA's choice of LNG as the main marine fuel in the future.

In addition, many shipping companies, such as Mediterranean Shipping Company, Beurotte, HMM and Ocean Network Shipping Company, take LNG fuel as the first choice when ordering super-large container ships. Maersk has determined that the new fuels to be developed include methanol/ethanol, biomethane and ammonia, and hopes to order the first batch of small container ships that can operate in designated areas within three years.

"Replacing fossil fuels, such as liquefied natural gas, can achieve carbon dioxide equivalent emission reduction of up to 20% at a relatively low cost, and in the short and medium term, using fossil fuels to drop zero-carbon fuels (such as biodiesel and bio-liquefied natural gas) is a feasible choice." Li Ling pointed out.