November 14, 2022

Global shipping: DLR study analyses prospects for hydrogen-based fuels

Short study: Future maritime fuels and their possible import concepts
Worldwide, about 90 per cent of international freight traffic is carried by ship. Most ships use heavy fuel oil and are responsible for about 3 per cent of the global share of CO₂ emissions. Decarbonization of shipping plays an important role in achieving a climate-neutral transport economy.

With a short study, our research group for the Evaluation of Solar Production Processes and the research group for Solar Chemical Process Development took a look at the use of synthetic fuels in global shipping.

Conventional marine fuels such as heavy fuel oils and the high share of freight transport currently still cause problematically high carbon dioxide emissions. Synthetic fuels could make an important contribution to solving this problem.

Under the title "Future maritime fuels and their possible import concepts", the study highlights various climate-neutral production processes of hydrogen, ammonia, methanol or liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC). However, storage, transport and the macroeconomic framework conditions for import to Germany and Europe are also part of the analysis. Finally, the study looks at practical applications on board a ship and the prospects for the technology in the maritime sector.

The short study can be downloaded from the following link.

Short study: Future maritime fuels and their possible import concepts (2022, in German)

2.3 MB | PDF

Worldwide, about 90 per cent of international freight traffic is carried by ship. Most ships use heavy fuel oil and are responsible for about 3 per cent of the global share of CO₂ emissions. Decarbonization of shipping plays an important role in achieving a climate-neutral transport economy.

Contact

Nathalie Monnerie

Head of Department
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Institute of Future Fuels
Evaluation of solar production processes
Linder Höhe, 51147 Köln-Porz
Germany

Christian Siegel

Communication Officer
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Institute of Future Fuels
Im Langenbroich 13, 52428 Jülich
Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 2461 93730-328