Future Proof Shipping gave hydrogen cargo shipping something most hydrogen shipping announcements never provide: working vessels. H2 Barge 1 and H2 Barge 2 were not artist renderings, conference-stage concepts or another memorandum of understanding. They were inland cargo vessels converted to hydrogen fuel-cell operation and put into real freight service … [continued]
Shipping’s transition starts by shrinking the fuel pool, then using electrons and scarce liquids only where they fit.
Maritime fuel debates usually start with the wrong object. They look at today’s bunker fuel demand, line up replacement molecules, and ask whether ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, LNG, biofuels, or synthetic fuels can scale far enough to replace it. That sounds like a practical question, but it skips the larger one: … [continued]
Maritime batteries do not have to electrify every ship to reshape fuel demand; short-sea, port-adjacent and hybrid-electric operations are already a serious wedge.
A useful paper has landed in the Nature family on the techno-economics of electrifying short-sea shipping, and the result should make the maritime fuel debate a little less vague. The paper does not claim that every ship becomes battery-electric. It does not need to. It finds that by 2030 a … [continued]
Engine-supported air lubrication may trim ship fuel use by reducing hull friction, but the useful number is net savings after the air has been compressed and delivered.
The interesting part of Everllence and Silverstream’s Engine Supported Air Lubrication concept is not that ships can reduce drag by pushing air under the hull. That has been known for decades, and commercial systems are already in service. The interesting part is where the air comes from, because air lubrication’s … [continued]
BYD and Shenzhen Port Group recently signed an agreement to expand cooperation between the automaker and port operator. While this news largely flew under the radar, the scope of the agreement goes far beyond BYD’s home ports to develop international logistics and decarbonize global shipping. As reported by Chinese shipping … [continued]
Some see US tariffs as the beginning of the end for globalization, but what if the world just shrugs and goes about its business?
ChatGPT generated panoramic aerial image of a traditional RoPax ferry disturbing shallow coastal sediments, illustrating wake turbulence and potential methane release pathways
I was recently asked if reducing ship speeds is the only available solution to the methane emissions documented in a recent study from the journal Communications Earth & Environment. The research, focused on ship traffic in Neva Bay, Russia, revealed that vessels traveling faster than 12 knots with hull drafts … [continued]
ChatGPT generated: A high-resolution aerial photograph of the Panama Canal shows a large container ship at dock, where cranes are actively swapping battery-labeled containers
The Maersk McKinney Moller Institute published an analysis in late 2024 exploring the potential for battery-electric shipping. Their study rightly concluded that battery-powered ships are not only viable but increasingly competitive, driven by falling battery prices, rising energy density, and straightforward integration of battery containers onto vessels. They missed on … [continued]
ChatGPT generated: A hybrid cargo ship at port, clearly labeled with "HYBRID," "BATTERIES," and "BIODIESEL," symbolizing the convergence of pragmatic low-emission technologies in maritime transport
Maritime shipping, responsible for approximately 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, stands at an unprecedented turning point. As we progress toward mid-century, decarbonization is no longer optional but mandatory, driven by stringent international regulations, including the International Maritimate Organization’s recent fuel carbon pricing decision and corporate sustainability commitments. This requirement … [continued]
ChatGPT generated panoramic image of wind turbines and battery storage integration at a port, with a visible data center and container terminal infrastructure
Ports around the world face an enormous sustainability challenge. Currently responsible for approximately 3% of global carbon emissions, maritime operations and related logistics are under intense scrutiny to reduce their environmental impact. The 30-year roadmap outlined in my port electrification series provides a detailed, phased strategy to transition ports fully … [continued]
