The drive to reduce climate-warming emissions from ships, coupled with the pursuit of energy efficiency and the maximization of onboard energy utilization, continues to shape the development of commercial fleets worldwide. While container ships often take center stage, ferries actually hold the potential to make a more significant impact in the short term. The search for alternatives has shattered many taboos, aided by geopolitical crises in regions of critical importance to fossil fuels supplies. Today the near-term adoption  of wind propulsion (particularly as an auxiliary system) or nuclear power no longer raises eyebrows, meanwhile, fuels such as LNG, synthetic methanol, and ammonia as a carbon-free hydrogen carrier have gained acceptance and are already being adopted by vessels currently in service or on order. The limiting factor here is production and refueling infrastructure, which will absorb  the lion’s share of investment.

Main topics:

• LNG, state of the art
• Methanol: opportunities and challenges
• Electrolytic synthetic ammonia: making hydrogen viable
• Wind: A Major Comeback
• Nuclear power and nuclear technologies: SMRs, and more
• Engineering and naval architecture challenges of new propulsion systems
• The infrastructure challenge
• Security: a problem to be solved, not a blocker
• Onboard cogeneration