Inspenet, February 8, 2023
The report “The Potential of E-fuels to Decarbonise Ships and Aircraft,” published by the International Transport Forum of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), examines the potential of electrofuels (e-fuels) for both maritime and air transport, to decarbonise the industry.
“Fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, e-methanol and even e-jet fuel can be produced from renewable energies and raw materials and are even cheaper,” postulates the analysis, which seeks to identify the challenges and opportunities related to production technologies. and available raw materials to identify priorities and maximize emission reductions.
Thus, the study identifies two types of electrofuels: carbonated -such as e-jet fuel and e-methanol- and non-carbonated -such as ammonia and hydrogen. The former are compatible with most existing vehicles and technologies through minor modifications, but their disadvantage lies in their high production cost; while the latter are easier and cheaper to produce, but require more expertise in their management and use more complex and expensive technologies to implement, which would slow down their mass adoption.
The preferred ones for shipping are hydrogen, e-methanol and ammonia. Although none of these fuels produce CO 2 emissions, they are not exempt from other gases and advantages and disadvantages associated with their use. For example, hydrogen is highly flammable and must be stored in special tanks at very low temperatures, or ammonia, which carries high environmental risks and even human health in the event of a spill.
Source : https://mundomaritimo.cl/noticias/el-potencial-de-los-e-fuels-para-descarbonizar-buques-y-aeronaves
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