Cost-benefit analysis of emission reduction techniques: a case for container vessel

Abstract

One of the most important issues in the maritime industry is controlling and reducing the amount of emissions caused by marine vessels. In this respect, the International Maritime Organization sets some air pollution-related regulations and encourages maritime companies to utilise current and innovative emission abatement methods on their ships. The application of these approaches to ships not only provides environmental benefits but also creates additional financial costs for the company. In this study, operational data of a container ship has been acquired and examined. Methods such as ammonia, LNG, scrubber, low sulphur fuel use, and selective catalytic reduction have been considered to determine the most appropriate emission reduction approach. Nine different scenarios have been created with the use of stated methods and each scenario is analysed both environmentally and economically and compared to each other. Finally, the most suitable scenario has been determined by calculating the payback period of each investment. Since there is a relatively longer period of redemption, using a dual-fuel engine could be more suitable for long-lasting and newly built ships. For the currently cruising ships, the use of scrubber systems with selective catalytic reduction is an effective solution to reduce the number of emissions.