CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGERS ATLANTIC BLUE RIBBON CROSS CHANNEL

LEG	NAUTICAL MILES	TIME IN PORT	WAYPOINT	SUNSHINE DAYS
-	-	-	-	-
START	-	-	Monaco	0.00
1	784	2	Gibraltar	4.67
2	729	2	Tenerife, Canary Islands	4.34
3	3,154	2	Trinidad, Port of Spain	18.77
4	1,182	2	Panama City	7.04
5	970	2	Galapagos	5.77
6	3,640	2	Tahiti	21.67
7	1,423	2	Tonga, Nukualofa	8.47
8	410	2	Fiji, Suva	2.44
9	1,886	2	Port Moresby PNG	11.23
10	340	2	Thursday Island, Cape York	2.02
11	724	2	Darwin	4.31
12	1,572	2	Jakarta, Indonesia	9.36
13	1,881	2	Colombo, Sri Lanka	11.20
14	2,109	2	Aden, Yemen	12.55
15	698	2	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia	4.15
16	670	2	Port Said, Egypt	3.99
17	1,111	2	Palermo, Sicily	6.61
18	170	2	Naples, Italy	1.01
19	393	FINISH	Monaco	2.34
-	-	-	-	-
-	23,846	36	RUNTIME DAYS @ 7kts	141.94
-	-	-	RUNTIME DAYS @ 10kts	99.36
-	-	-	-	-
+ 10% service	= 109.30 Days	-	10 KNOTS AVE INC PORT & %	145.30
+ 10% service	= 156.13 Days	-	7 KNOTS AVE INC PORT & %	192.13
& maintenance	-	-	@ 6 KNOTS AVE	224.16
-	-	-	@ 5 KNOTS AVE	268.99

CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE - The above table illustrates one of the most likely ocean awareness expedition routes, known as the 'Sunshine Route,' showing the time elapsed in days for 7 knots average cruising speed, including times for 5 and 6 knot averages - allowing for 10% downtime and 36 days in ports. Hence, although the objective is to reduce the current solar circumnavigation record from 584 days, the event in not an outright non-stop yacht competition in the offshore racing sense. It remains to be seen how accurate such a prediction might be. In this table we only allowed 36 days for provisioning and PR but added a 10% contingency for servicing, that could be used for additional time in ports. As a Climate Changing event, performance is one of the main criteria, especially concerning the possibilities for a transition to low carbon shipping and the contribution this might make in combating global warming. UK project team. This phase of the project is set to be funded by responsible corporations.

This 2050 target is based on the assumption that within 3 years a team of engineers might produce and test a suitable vessel, and that thereafter and within a further 7 years the concept is up-scaled to full scale prototypes for shipyards to be able to construct cargo ships and cruise liners based on the original design.

Assuming that funding is available from 2020, that should mean a conclusion of the "Challenge" by 2023. If successful, the design may be up-scaled and tested as tank models within 7 years of completion of the 'Challenge', taking the development of the concept to 2030.

Attempting to model a complex problem, such as expected shipping activity over a period of 35 years and potential solutions for reducing emissions, involves significant uncertainties.

From 2030 vessels may be built to replace the current fleet of cargo ships, as the older transports reach the end of their 20 year useful working lives.

In order to accelerate such ideal, a scrappage scheme might be introduced, where older bunker fuelled vessels are traded in for an allowance against an purchase order for a Zero Carbon ship.

In addition, cargo and passengers that are delivered via diesel engines or coal fired boilers could be subject to an international marine tax on gallons of fuel used or tons of coal burned, which taxes will go toward building up a fund for scrap-age trade-ins.

USA TODAY 14 AUGUST 2019 - Climate change activist Greta Thunberg sets sail for New York in the 60ft Malizia II yacht from Mayflower Marina, on August 14, 2019 in Plymouth, England.

The Swedish activist Greta Thunberg began her journey to the United States today for the United Nations Climate Conference. Her mode of travel is fitting for someone who’s climate conscious: She’s arriving in an eco-friendly boat propelled by the wind, with solar panels and wind turbines to power the navigation instruments and other boat equipment.

A relatively simple way to reduce fuel consumption and emissions is speed reduction. The industry has already introduced slow steaming in many segments and a further 10-20% reduction could be possible without major change in equipment or logistics.

This would correspond to a reduction in fuel consumption in the order of 30% in the short term, also accounting for the fact that more vessels will be needed to cover the transport demand.

Slow steaming makes solar powered shipping more attractive, tending to level the playing field. Where speed is to be reduced by more than 20% leading up to 2050, established logistics solutions and charter contracts will need to be reviewed.

The ability to handle a larger number of smaller ships, means that ports and harbours may need to revise berthing and loading arrangements for a quicker turnaround. It also means that smaller and more frequent consignments might be catered for with regular sailing times and that investment in new ships may be in smaller bites - so easier to transition.

At this stage it is impossible to guess at the advantages or disadvantages of electric ocean transport, until we know how well the 'Climate Change Challenger' might perform. Once that data is available, computer modelling might allow us to determine workability scenarios.

Unfortunately, hydrogen ships are not that green in terms of converting sunlight or wind power into propulsive force at the propeller shaft. That does not mean hydrogen does not have a role to play. It just means we need to be realistic - and accept that we'll get less total energy out, but greater energy density.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell (HFC) vehicles are perceived to be a good bridge between fossil fuels and full electric because:

- You can still fill up like you do with a diesel bunkered ship.

- Hydrogen fuel cells are thought to last longer than batteries (or conversely, batteries are thought to have a shorter life).

- Hydrogen as a fuel is perceived to offer relatively small infrastructural changes from fossil fuels.

- Hydrogen is perceived as a cleaner solution than diesel or natural gas or LPG.

In reality:

- You cannot fill up like you do with diesel. It is difficult to fill up a HFC powered vehicle where safety is an issue in dealing with high pressure gas.

- Hydrogen fuel cells have bad theoretical and practical efficiency.

- Hydrogen storage is inefficient, energetically, volumetrically and with respect to weight.

- There is no infrastructure for distributing or even making hydrogen in large quantities. There probably won’t be for at least 20 or 30 years, even if we start building it today like there was no tomorrow.

- Solar and wind charged battery electric vehicles are a better bet given the speed of technological developments past, present and future.

“The entire process of electrolysis, transportation, pumping and fuel-cell conversion would leave only about 20 to 30 percent of the original zero-carbon electricity to drive a motor.”

HYBRID FERRIES Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CAML) owns ferries, ports and harbours and infrastructure necessary for vital ferry services serving the west coast of Scotland and the Clyde Estuary, and the Northern Isles. CAML are wholly owned by the Scottish Government with Scottish Ministers the sole shareholders. They aim to provide efficient, cost-effective and safe ferries, harbours and port infrastructure for operators, communities and users in and around Scotland.

In February 2011 the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Keith Brown, confirmed Scottish Government funding to CMAL for a Low Emission Hybrid Ferries Project, which has seen the world’s first sea going Roll On Roll Off vehicle and passenger diesel electric hybrid ferries being designed and built in Scotland. In December 2011, the project received additional funding of £450,000 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The MV HALLAIG, was launched by Scotland’s, Nicola Sturgeon, on 17th December 2012. This was followed a few months later by A second ferry, the MV LOCHINVAR, which was launched on 23rd May 2013. A third vessel costING around £12.3 million was launched in 2015.

The ferries are designed for use on many of the short crossing routes around the Clyde and Hebrides and uses this innovative ‘green’ technology, including battery banks supplying 20% of the energy consumed on board.

The MV HALLAIG entered service in November 2013, serving communities on Skye and Raasay, with the MV LOCHINVAR, entering service in December 2013 serving the Tarbert to Portavadie route.

All three hybrid ferries use a low carbon hybrid system that combines traditional diesel power with electric battery energy. The system is leading to a reduction in fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions. Each ferry accommodates 150 passengers, 23 cars or 2 HGVs, with a service speed of nine knots and is powered by small diesel generator sets, feeding power to a 400 volt switchboard, which, supplies power to electric propulsion motors.

Two lithium-ion battery banks with a total of 700kWh also supply power to the units. The battery banks are charged overnight from the mains.

From analysis and figures obtained during trials and operations of MV HALLAIG, the hybrid vessels are capable of reducing fuel consumption by up to 38% compared to a conventionally powered vessel of the same size. The reduction of fuel consumption will result in a decrease in CO2 emissions from each vessel of in excess of 5,500 tonnes over their lifetime, with a proportionally similar decrease in sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions.

Use of biofuels in large quantities is likely to strain the balance in terms of agricultural land that is needed to grow food, where desertification is already on the UN agenda against the need to feed a growing population and stave off famine in the face of reducing fish stocks. This is a food security issue that must be taken into account in deciding policy and law, especially where clearing of forests to create farmland means lowering carbon absorption and oxygen production from trees.

Using CO2 scrubbers to comply with low sulphur standards may be a financially attractive option in the short term to keep old ships steaming, but such investment tends to lock the industry into a fuel that does not allow for significant GHG emissions reductions for the bigger picture. Using LNG or LPG as fuel can contribute to small GHG reductions. Scrubbers will result in higher total emissions.

The introduction of energy efficiency measures and speed reduction are the only practical means of reducing GHG emissions for most existing vessels. Retrofitting to use less carbon intensive fuels is possible, but usually very costly. Very few vessels are therefore expected to undertake such conversion projects. Especially if there is a scrappage scheme in the making.

Ship owners tend to have short term investment plans of between two and five years. This frustrates the take up of new technology with longer term payback against a background of political uncertainty. This is not such a pronounced problem if ships are smaller, so representing a lesser per-unit risk.

There are two major types of uncertainties: a) technological; b) market and regulatory uncertainties.

Other than technical barriers, access to finance and low operating margins in many shipping segments lead to very short investment terms, further complicating the uptake of technologies that could lead to decarbonisation of shipping operations.

“Technologies and measures for energy efficiency of ships”, E. Dale, H. Gundersen, M.S. Eide, DNV GL, Report for Enova SF (in Norwegian), 2016:

“Third IMO GHG Study 2014”, T. Smith et al., International Maritime Organization (IMO), London, UK, 2015.

“Alternative fuels for shipping”, C. Chryssakis, O. Balland, H.A. Tvete, A. Brandsæter,
DNV GL Strategic Research and Innovation Position Paper 1-2014.

“Reduction of GHG emissions from ships, Marginal Abatement Cost and Cost Effectiveness of
Energy-efficiency measures”, MEPC 62/INF.7, IMO, London, UK, 2011.

“Second IMO GHG study 2009”, Ø. Buhaug et al., International Maritime Organization (IMO), London, UK, 2009.

https://www.cmassets.co.uk/feasibility-study-using-hydrogen-produced-from-local-wind-farms-to-power-future-ferry-services/