Is hydrogen a decarbonizing fuel for maritime shipping?

Abstract

To meet the targets for carbon emissions as laid out by the Paris Agreement, the International Maritime Organisation has experimented with several technological, operational, and incentive-based methods. However, to date, a viable and reliable method or technology has eluded humankind in meeting the desired carbon emission standards of the shipping industry. Since LNG, so far considered as a potent decarbonizing candidate, has fallen short, efforts to experiment with hydrogen as an alternative candidate for decarbonization have found traction with researchers. Using desk-based qualitative research, the author aims to analyze the use of hydrogen in the shipping sector as a means of achieving decarbonization. In doing so, the future use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for the shipping industry to achieve net-zero emission targets is examined, evaluated, and discussed. The study shows that, while hydrogen as a decarbonizing fuel in the shipping industry has high potential, its use as a zero-emission fuel is feasible only if either the technology of hydrogen production using renewables advances, or increased taxations and subsidies make the costs comparable to currently cheaper production methods using fossil fuels. Highlights IMO has committed decarbonisation of the shipping industry but has not been able to identify a fuel, process or technology to achieve this target Many fuel options have been experimented with but with limited success Hydrogen as a fuel offers high promise to achieve the committed target of IMO Hydrogen can be the desired decarbonising fuel if either technology for hydrogen production is refined or increased taxations and subsidies can help renewable energy to achieve cost comparison with fossil fuel energy