The feasibility of autonomous low-emission ro-ro passenger shipping in the Adriatic Sea

Abstract

Digitalization, artificial intelligence, and awareness of climate change are the driving forces of the rapid development of the transportation industry. As seaborne trade grows, the maritime sector is exploring the applicability of alternative powering options and ways to implement new technologies to increase safety and efficiency. Autonomous ships have recently generally been presented as more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than conventional manned ships. This paper deals with the feasibility of autonomous ro-ro passenger ships combined with the application of alternative power options, where the Croatian short-sea shipping sector is taken as an illustrative example. An analysis is conducted for heavy fuel oil, marine diesel oil, liquefied natural gas, methanol, electricity, and fossil and renewable hydrogen for three different ships operating on short, medium, and relatively long routes. For the ship lifetime of 20 years, through five Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the environmental and economic impact of the considered options is evaluated and the potential for their autonomous application is investigated. Taking into account the contrasts between conventional and autonomous ships, the differences in the costs for autonomous ship are outlined, and the KPIs of conventional and autonomous ro-ro passenger ships are compared. The results indicate that from an environmental and economic point of view, methanol and electricity-powered ships are the best option for all three routes. Regarding autonomous shipping, the ecological and economic benefits are obvious for all the considered power options and ships, except for the renewable hydrogen-powered ship operating on the longest route.