There is more than diesel
2019 was a record year for the growth of alternative fuels in maritime transport, as can be seen from the dedicated portal fuels insight (AFI) by DNV GL.
The use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) experienced a remarkable upward trend with the commission, throughout the year, of 100 newly built ships propelled by said fuel. A figure that almost triples the average recorded from 2016 to 2018 and shows that LNG "seems to have already reached the expected turning point."
More and more larger vessels with greater consumption and covering global routes are adopting this alternative fuel, although "the lack of LNG supply infrastructure remains an obstacle to greater diffusion, especially in the ocean sectors," DNV GL explains in its report.
The deployment of on-board batteries as the main energy source also increased significantly, with a total of 390 ships in operation or in the order book, considering that most of these projects are plug-in hybrids or hybrids.
On the other hand, always according to DNV GL, last year almost 1,200 units were added to the fleet of ships with scrubbers installed on board, with a total of 3,881 vessels in operation or in the portfolio. (mw)