{"id":68386,"date":"2021-03-08T11:45:36","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T11:45:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grist.org\/?p=500270"},"modified":"2021-03-08T11:45:36","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T11:45:36","slug":"the-worlds-first-carbon-neutral-cargo-ship-is-already-low-on-gas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/03\/08\/the-worlds-first-carbon-neutral-cargo-ship-is-already-low-on-gas\/","title":{"rendered":"The world\u2019s first \u2018carbon-neutral\u2019 cargo ship is already low on gas"},"content":{"rendered":"
When shipping giant Maersk announced last month<\/a> it would operate a \u201ccarbon-neutral\u201d vessel by 2023, the Danish company committed to using a fuel that\u2019s made from renewable sources, is free of soot-forming pollutants \u2014 and is currently in scarce supply.<\/p>\n \u201cGreen methanol\u201d is drawing interest from the global shipping industry as companies work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb air pollution in ports. The colorless liquid can be used as a \u201cdrop-in\u201d replacement for oil-based fuels with relatively minor modifications to a ship\u2019s engine and fuel system. It\u2019s also easy to store on board and, unlike batteries or tanks of hydrogen, it doesn\u2019t take away too much space from the cargo hold.<\/p>\n Maersk\u2019s plan to run its container ship on sustainably sourced methanol marks a key milestone for the emerging fuel. Cargo shipping is the linchpin of the global economy, with tens of thousands of vessels hauling goods, food, and raw materials across the water every day. The industry accounts for nearly 3 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, a number that\u2019s expected to rise if ships keep using the same dirty fuels, according to the International Maritime Organization, or IMO, the United Nations body that regulates the industry.<\/p>\n The IMO aims to reduce<\/a> total shipping emissions by at least 50 percent from 2008 levels by 2050, and to completely decarbonize ships by the end of this century. The policy is accelerating efforts to test, pilot, and scale up more sustainable fuels.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of [cargo] carriers and technology providers are trying to figure out what the alternative to bunker fuel is,\u201d said Dan Rutherford, who directs the marine and aviation programs at the International Council on Clean Transportation<\/a>, or ICCT, in California.<\/p>\n Methanol, or CH\u2083OH, is primarily used to make chemicals for plastics, paints, and cosmetics. It\u2019s also considered a top candidate for cleaning up cargo ships in the near term, along with liquefied natural gas \u2014 a fuel that produces little air pollution but ultimately results in higher emissions<\/a> of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Long term, however, the leading contenders are likely to be ammonia<\/a> and hydrogen, two zero-carbon fuels in earlier stages of development.<\/p>\n At the moment, about a dozen chemical tankers burn methanol in their engines, with others soon to launch. But those vessels use conventional methanol, which is made from coal or natural gas. Maersk\u2019s new container ship would be the first commercial vessel to run on green methanol specifically, said Kjeld Aabo, director of new technologies for MAN Energy Solutions<\/a>, the manufacturer providing the engine. The biggest challenge, Maersk said, will be finding enough of the fuel to run its ship as planned.<\/p>\n