- A new report has highlighted key actions to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from domestic shipping in Africa and the Caribbean.
- The report, developed by the IMO Coordinated Actions to Reduce Emissions from Shipping initiative (IMO CARES), underscores the critical role of domestic shipping in developing countries while noting its significant contribution to global GHG emissions.
A new report from the International Maritime Organization’s Coordinated Actions to Reduce Emissions from Shipping Initiative (IMO CARES) has offered recommendations on how the decarbonisation of domestic shipping in African and Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) can be supported by the development of National Action Plans (NAPs) and more investment in ‘sustainable port infrastructure’.
The report said that this sustainable infrastructure could include shore power systems and alternative fuel bunkering, and it also called for more fleet renewal with energy-efficient and zero-emission technologies.
Decarbonization of domestic shipping in Africa, Caribbean
Going into detail on which alternative fuels and energy technologies could be appropriate for domestic shipping in Africa and the Caribbean, the IMO CARES report said: ‘Efforts should focus on acquiring and implementing biofuels for all domestic ferries, particularly biodiesel, which is already widely utilised in road transport.’
The report emphasised that switching to biofuels has the virtue of operational simplicity, as: ‘The deployment of biofuels requires minimal retrofitting of current ship engine technology and bunkering infrastructure, thus avoiding significant capital expenditure in the domestic sector. Moreover, it offers vessels the opportunity to transition to e-fuels in the future.’
Of the other alternative marine fuels, the IMO CARES report said that: ‘Hydrogen, in conjunction with fuel cell technology, could emerge as a pivotal energy source for domestic shipping, offering zero-emission propulsion for fleets.’ It also saw flagged up the potential of electric propulsion systems in short-sea and domestic shipping.’
However, it judged that: ‘LNG and ammonia cannot be considered as appropriate alternative fuels for domestic shipping in the African and Caribbean regions. While LNG has been proposed as a transitional fuel for certain segments of international shipping, particularly larger vessels, its viability for domestic shipping is dubious due to the smaller size of domestic vessels and the considerable capital expenditure involved in LNG deployment.’
Click here to download the report, Decarbonizing Domestic Shipping: Insights from Africa and the Caribbean.
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Source: IMO
