Page 6 - Annual Review 2021 full

Indian National Shipowners’ Association

Transition to Zero-carbon

Shipping and Alternative Fuels

By Indra N Bose, Advisor, Great Eastern Shipping Co. Ltd.

An over view on Transition to Zero-carbon Shipping Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
and Alternative Fuels and to identify possible the climate science body of the United Nations
choices that a shipowner/operator may choose in (UN), consisting of researchers from governments,
decarbonizing ships. academia, industry and non-governmental
organizations produces a climate science report
While it is easier to guess regulatory trajectory named Assessment Report (AR) every seven
for reduction of greenhouse gas emission it is years or so. The IPCC is widely recognized as the
extremely hard to identify possible way forward for most creditable source of scientific information on
an owner given that zero carbon fuels do not exist climate change and all governments, UNFCCC and
today and atleast 260 R&D projects to develop zero IMO refers to its reports in making policy decisions.
carbon fuels and propulsion systems are currently
underway around the globe. Net Zero Emission Target Date
The first instalment of the 6th Assessment Report
In 2018 International Maritime Organization had of IPCC published on 6th August 2021 states the
adopted its Initial Strategy on Reduction of GHG followings:
Emissions from Ships. Two key ambitions of the
strategy were as follows:
Earth could exceed 1.50C of global warming – the
“safe” limit for temperature rise outlined in the Paris
i. carbon intensity of international shipping to Agreement – as soon as the early 2030.
decline to reduce CO2 emissions per transport
work, as an average across international Staying below 20C this century will only happen
shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing if emissions reach net zero by 2050 with the
efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to addendum that the Global GHG emissions must
2008; and
peak sometime in the middle of this decade - in
other words within next few years.
ii. to peak GHG emissions from international
shipping as soon as possible and to reduce the A study published in 2019 by University Maritime
total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% Advisory Service (UMAS) and Getting to Zero
by 2050 compared to 2008 whilst pursuing Coalition established for the global fleet to achieve
efforts towards phasing them out as called for complete decarbonisation by 2050, Zero-Carbon
in the Vision as a point on a pathway of CO2 fuels must represent 5% of international shipping’s
emissions reduction consistent with the Paris fuel mix by 2030.
Agreement temperature goals.

The study had also assessed that for full mid-century
Since then, two short term measures viz. Energy decarbonisation, zero-emission fuels would have to
Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and Carbon account for 27% of shipping’s energy mix by 2036
Intensity Indicator (CII) applicable to existing ships and for 93% of it by 2046.
have been developed and incorporated in MARPOL
Convention and would be applicable from 1st Hitting this new 5% goal by 2030, which translates
January 2023. The purpose of these regulations is to almost 16m tonnes of heavy fuel oil equivalent,
to ensure that international shipping is put in a GHG would accelerate the adoption of zero-carbon
emission intensity reduction trajectory to achieve fuels to desired levels during the following years,
at least 40% reduction by 2030 compared to 2008 according to the study’s models.
baseline.
India (Ministry of Science and Technology) is a
Also, a system for collection of data related to fuel Core Mission Member of Zero-Emission Shipping
oil consumption and transport work done by each with following mission:
ship above GT 5000 each calendar year (known as
IMO DCS) has started since 2019. These data are i. By 2030, at least 5% of the global deep-sea fleet
being used to decide on policy measures for further measured by fuel consumption to be made of
reduction of GHG emission from international ships capable of running on well-to-wake zero-
shipping.
emission fuels – such as green hydrogen, green

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