Maritime shipping accounts for three percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions. This means that decarbonizing the sector will be critical in most scenarios to hit global climate targets. Leaders from within the sector have gotten on board with the decarbonization imperative, agreeing to target net zero emissions by 2050 – but getting there won’t be easy.
In order to decarbonize this hard-to-abate industry, a number of advances are needed, including supportive policy and oversight, real-time emissions tracking, new and disruptive technologies like hydrogen fuel cells to replace the dirty bitumen that many ships rely on, and more efficient shipping routes. Happily, advancements are being made in all of these regards.
Late last year, the International Maritime Organization adopted a Net-Zero Framework that pairs mandatory emissions limits and greenhouse gas pricing across the entire sector in a historic first. “These measures, set to be formally adopted in October 2025 before entry into force in 2027, will become mandatory for large ocean-going ships over 5,000 gross tonnage, which emit 85% of the total CO2 emissions from international shipping,” the Organization announced in a press release published last month.
While these stringent mandates are hugely positive news for climate goals, they could place significant economic strain on the shipping industry if mismanaged. But a new technology out of Scandinavia may have found a way to let the shipping industry slash its carbon emissions without having to scrap its existing, crude-thirsty fleets.
Wärtsilä, a Finland-based energy and maritime firm, just unveiled a groundbreaking carbon capture system that they hope will be a complete game changer for the sector. The team behind the technology claims that their model can cut a ship’s emissions by up to 70 percent, a staggering figure. And, even more critically, it’s not just a theoretical model – the team has already installed their CCS prototype onto a commercial vessel, Solvang ASA’s 21,000 m³ ethylene carrier Clipper Eris.
According to Agnevall, not only is the technology great news for climate goals, it should also provide a lot of relief to shipowners and investors, who can potentially now update their existing fleets for compliance with emissions regulations instead of being saddled with stranded assets.
“CCS is a game-changer for the maritime industry, and we are already seeing huge interest in the market for this solution,” Håkan Agnevall, Wärtsilä president and chief executive officer, explained to Interesting Engineering. “While the shipping sector continues to explore options for lessening its environmental impact, CCS provides a significant shortcut for achieving meaningful sustainability,” added Edvin Endresen, Solvang ASA chief executive officer.
“The firm estimates the cost of carbon capture using its system at USD 54 – 76 per metric ton of CO?,” reports Interesting Engineering. “Covering both capital and operating expenses, the figure is considered competitive and could appeal to shipowners facing carbon taxes and emissions trading requirements.”
While these advancements could make significant positive change for individual ships’ emissions, however, there is some concern that carbon capture technologies will ultimately disincentivize more sweeping decarbonization efforts. In fact, many experts dismiss CCS technologies outright as blatant greenwashing. In an example from a Cal Matters report late last year, the news outlet decried state-level carbon capture incentives, saying that “The fossil fuel industry is spending millions to persuade the public that carbon capture is a viable solution to the climate crisis, but in reality, it’s a failed technology.” A Scientific American article echoes this sentiment, warning: “Carbon capture technology is a PR fig leaf designed to help Big Oil delay the phaseout of fossil fuels.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has taken a more measured stance on CCS, but overall paints a rather grim picture of the technology’s potential. However, the IPCC does point out that carbon capture might be critical to reduce the emissions of certain “hard to abate” sectors – and much of the maritime shipping industry falls into that category.
By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com