Technical, environmental and economic analysis of utilizing hydrogen-rich fuel in decarbonized container ships†

Abstract

This paper analyzes the substitution of conventional fuels with hydrogen-rich fuel derived from ammonia for two different types of container ships, focusing on technical, environmental, and economic perspectives. Four operation modes are investigated including marine diesel oil (MDO), dual-fuel (50 : 50 and 25 : 75 percentages of MDO : H₂-rich fuel) and pure H₂-rich fuel. The environmental impact of using H₂-rich fuel is assessed based on the tank-to-wake and well-to-wake CO₂-equivalent emissions, considering different ammonia production pathways. The results reveal that all the alternative modes exhibit decreased tank-to-wake emissions compared to MDO. The minimum reduction percentage is related to the 50 : 50 mode at about 44%, and an average well-to-wake reduction of 3.5 and 6.3 g per t NM is achievable by using blue and green ammonia, respectively. Moreover, to avoid any increase in the total costs of alternative modes compared to the reference mode, the future ammonia fuel price should be less than 384 $ per t. The research demonstrates that H₂-rich fuel is a viable alternative fuel for container ships, providing notable environmental benefits. While initial costs are higher, long-term economic advantages can be achieved through carbon pricing.