[GloMEEP] Methanol as Marine Fuel: Environmental Benefits, Technology Readiness, and Economic Feasibility
The purpose of the study is to determine the environmental benefits of using methanol as fuel on ships with regards to emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), NOx and SOx. The potential environmental gains are seen in the context of current and future environmental regulations for methanol in maritime use, and in context of the costs of adaption and technical readiness. The environmental assessment of methanol used as ship fuel shows that, for a lifecycle perspective, methanol produced with natural gas has higher GHG emissions than conventional fuels. However, methanol produced with biomass has the potential to save significant emissions, provided that the electricity used in the process is relatively clean. The lifecycle NOx emissions from methanol are approximately 45% of those from conventional fuels per unit energy and the lifecycle SOx emissions of methanol are approximately 8% of those from conventional fuels per unit energy. In the case of both NOx and SOx, the emissions reductions are due to the fact that methanol results in lower emissions during the combustion phase (Published in 2016).
[GloMEEP] Methanol as Marine Fuel: Environmental Benefits, Technology Readiness, and Economic Feasibility.pdf
